The Serpent Chronicles: Book 1
by Arzosah
Summary: ON HIATUS. There is more to King Hsss than meets the eye, more than can ever be realized. This is his story. Chaos descends on Eternia when Grayskull opens his war against the Snakemen. Work in progress
1. Prologue

The Serpent Chronicles is my story of King Hsss' life, from his youth to the sealing of the void. Book 1 covers the Snakemen war with King Grayskull.

Disclaimer: I own none of the charaters appearing in this fic which have already appeared in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, old or new, in some shape or form. They belong to Mattel. All others, which willbe most of them, come to think of it, are mine.

**The Serpent Chronicles**

**Book1: The Glory of Innocence**

Prologue

They tell you that I am a tyrant; they are wrong. They tell you that I am insane; I think they are right. Most of my life was a nightmare that I don't care to relive. I wasn't born like this, you know. I, too, was once young and naive. I was happy then. I once could know love, but those days are gone, and nothing more than a memory. And those memories fade day by day.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Eternia was one kingdom once, one strong kingdom. The later generations would look back on those centuries as the 'Dark Times', a time of death and horror. But those stories are complete exaggerations, for the terror and slaughter were confined to the years of war and rebellion. The Snakemen were just rulers, despite all that the other races would say of them. Eternia was never as strong before, and would never be again.

The Snakemen, as their name would suggest were a race that was somewhat humanoid, but primarily serpentine. They laid eggs in ten-year cycles, they had scaly skin, and they were slightly cold-blooded. They had divided into many different breeds, but had remained one species, resulting in great individual diversity. Most breeds had become indistinguishable from one another, but a few remained distinct.

No single Snakeman ruled Eternia; there were no kings. Being a deeply religious people, the Snakemen followed the rule of a network of priests and priestesses devoted to their god, Serpos. They could speak with Him, and were therefore guided by Him. And His word was always followed with fanatical fervor.

The Snakemen themselves were divided into clans, varying greatly in size, skill, and influence. There were clans that bred horses, clans that were fishermen, clans that produced the finest archers, and other clans the finest sorcerers. At that time the most powerful clan was that of Quetzalcoalus, which flew under the banner of the Quetzalcoatl, the winged serpent. Its members were quite unusual, for most of them were Hydras, which naturally sported more than one head. No one was sure how that worked, not even them.

Clan Quetzalcoalus was the most powerful not just because of its size, but for its warriors and sorcerers. The finest swordsmen and the most powerful mages of all the Snakemen came from this clan. And what would become the most infamous Snakeman of all was born to this clan; his name was Hsss.

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The Citadel of Tamat was an impressive structure, with its immense spires of jade-green stone. It was not as impressive as Midgar, the Snakemen capitol city, but as the home of clan Quetzalcoalus it had to be one of the finest of its time. The Citadel was nestled against a cliff face, and much of the living space, including the most important of all, the egg-chamber, lay beneath the mountain. Its outer walls were made of smooth, solid stone, adorned with downward pointing drains in the shapes of serpents' heads, through which the Citadel's defenders could pour boiling oil or pitch down upon the enemy.

The tower's main body was as solid as the wall, but it was adorned with relief sculptures of intertwining serpents, many of which had feathered wings. Within the walls the Snakemen lived and worked while the herds they depended upon for food grazed beyond them. And at the pinnacle of the central tower was the council chamber, where the clan patriarch now held council. Serpentor he was called, and he was growing old.

The name 'Serpentor' meant 'gift of Serpos'. And for his mother, he certainly seemed like a gift. She was skinny and sickly; no one thought she'd be able to bear a child. But bear one she did, and it was a miracle indeed. But that child was Serpos' only gift to her; she died before the next breeding season, and Serpentor was raised by his father.

Serpentor was slender of build, and tall. Jutting back form the nape of his neck were two extra heads. His scales were a weak gold color, but his eyes were a vibrant green. He was tailless and walked plantigrade, full heel to toe. His snouts were somewhat short, and his fangs poked out from behind his lips. But his once glossy scales had become lacerated by battles, and dulled by age.

Serpentor wore what could have easily been battle armor. There was a steel breastplate, which left his midriff bare, that was inlayed with gold Quetzalcoatl designs. There were small steel shoulder guards that hooked to a green cloak. There was a set of red leather, finger-less gloves. There was a green loincloth with steel thigh-guards held on by a red leather belt with a gold Quetzalcoatl buckle. The shin guards were also steel and, again, inlayed with gold Quetzalcoatl designs. His feet were left bare.

The old patriarch was a proud sort of snake, who didn't let anyone tell him he couldn't do something. Some said this over-achievement was trying to make up for his mother's frailty, but no one would ever find out if this was the reason.

Serpentor's age concerned him, and this council of his generals and advisors was to discuss a matter of utmost importance: who would take his place. He trusted them to help him make a good decision. Many of them he grew up with, others he raised, and one was even his own daughter, his eldest child. She made both him and her mother proud.

Also among his advisors was his beloved mate, Giedra. She, like Serpentor, was tall and slender, but about a foot of her height was added by her digitigrade feet, heel in the air, toes on the ground. Unlike her mate, she had a tail and her scales were green with copper diamond patterns along her body. Her eyes were a bright crimson, and her snouts were long and slender, her fangs kept hidden inside her mouth. From her lower neck and from around her shoulders were six extra heads. She was beautiful to all the clans, but she was also a powerful sorceress.

Giedra never wore armor at home. Instead she wore a brown leather, backless, dress that hooked around her central neck and was slit along the sides. A black leather belt with a steel buckle encircled her slender waist. Around each of her ankles were small golden chains that clinked delicately every time she took a step.

Serpentor's daughter, Slither, stood next to her mother. Everyone said that she took after her mother in looks, her father in personality, and they were right. She had a tail, walked digitigrade, and had green scales, red eyes, and five heads. Mostly like her mother, but she was pushy and determined like her father. But though she was, she herself didn't feel that she could lead. She feared that her father would choose her as the matriarch to follow him.

The throne room was somewhat circular, with the throne itself situated at the flattest section. The outer wall was lined with large, open windows, which allowed an easy viewing of the surrounding lands. The two sets of stairs leading up into the room were cut into the floor close to the windows, to ensure that the patriarch could see anyone who entered the chamber. But the throne was the only seat in the room, and the council stood around in a circle, cloaked in green, waiting for Serpentor to speak.

Serpentor himself sat on the throne wearily, his central head held in one hand, his other heads draped over the arm rests. The only noise to be heard in the room was everyone's breathing. And no one dared break the silence. At last, with a sigh, Serpentor spoke.

"I'm sure you all know why I've called you here. For those who don't, I am growing old, and I need a successor," Serpentor spoke with a deep, booming voice that rolled the R's and drew out the S's. His voice could still have been heard above the roar of battle, and commanded great authority.

"You will help me decide," he continued and stood. Despite his age, Serpentor still stood tall, and walked surly. He spoke again as he purposefully strode around the circle of advisors.

"Should it be one of you, ye who I grew up with, who I raised, or the one who I sired?" He stopped when he reached Slither. She remained still and silent as a statue, but her eyes betrayed her nervousness. Serpentor did not miss this.

"Should I select one of my bloodline? Or should I only choose based on how well they can lead?" His eyes locked with his daughter's, and she spoke back, her voice expertly masking her fear.

"You should choose one who is most fit to replace you, father." Nods moved around the circle, and murmurs soon followed; Slither was right. Serpentor nodded together with them, and walked back to the throne. Turning back he went on.

"But who then? Should it be someone I can trust in battle, or should it be someone who knows what the people need? Or should I find someone who is a little bit of both? The latter seems best at first, but what do we need from a leader now? What say you?!" He'd raised his voice and the council was a bit taken aback. Looking over their shocked faces, Serpentor realized that he'd gone a bit far. Sighing again he sat down, draped his extra heads over the armrests, and held his central head in his hands. Silence set in again.

Giedra looked quietly across the faces of all those present. Many were as old as Serpentor and herself, but just as many were younger. Many were hardened by battle, like her, but just as many couldn't even heft a sword. There were both males and females present. They were all like brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews to her. She cared for them as much as she did her own children and her mate. Such were the bonds of the Snakemen clans.

There were eight advisors in all, including Giedra and Slither, and she knew all by name. There was her older brother Gadrus, a berserker in battle but a caring father at home. Like Giedra he walked digitigrade, had six extra heads, but no tail. His scales were green dappled with copper, and his eyes were red. His body was covered with jagged scars, and there were even patches where the scales had been torn away and had not grown back in properly.

There was Talon, the blacksmith, who despite his trade couldn't fight very well. He walked digitigrade, had four extra heads, and no tail. His scales were ashen gray, but no one could be certain whether the color was mostly his own or mostly from his work. His eyes were sickly yellow, but still shown with deep personality. His shoulders were broad and his back was stooped from bending over for most of his life. His heavily callused hands wrung each other somewhat nervously.

There was Coral, whose venom was the most potent Giedra had ever seen. She was the most skilled tactician in the clan, but ironically was also one of the biggest cowards, much preferring flight to fight. Her red, gold, and black scales were arranged in thick bands along her body. Her green eyes glistened in the light, perfectly framed by her round-ish heads.

There was Sal-Scale, a tanner by trade, and truly one of the sweetest snakes Giedra knew. He walked plantigrade, had two extra heads, and a thin tail. His eyes were dark, almost black, and his hide was a leathery brown, the scales partially worn off on his palms. He used to be a very proficient soldier, but a deep gash just above his right knee had lamed him.

There was Hydrius, the herdsman. He had eight extra heads, walked plantigrade, and had half a tail that he'd lost in a confrontation with a Worg. His scales were covered in a tiger-like pattern of orange and white with black stripes. Mild-mannered and half-blind, his eyes were a pale, milky-peach color. He was old, very old, and commanded great respect among the entire clan.

And then there was Fang, the pike man, and the undisputed master of the staff. Unlike the others though, he had married into the clan, to Coral in fact, and was not a Hydra at all, but of the Viper breed, from Ophidianos, the second largest clan. His build was a world of contradictions: he was lithe yet robust, and his tail was short yet skinny. Like Serpentor, Fang's copper body was crisscrossed with scars from many battles. In fact one of his digitigrade feet had nearly been lamed, and though he could still walk on that foot it was somewhat unrecognizable. One particularly harsh scar ran down his face and across his eye, which was not green like his other. That eye had been lost to battle, and an azure glass orb had replaced it. This scar had earned him the nickname 'Dead-Eye'.

The heavy silence was suddenly punctuated by the sound of shrill laughter, children's laughter. The grim mood that had descended upon the room lifted swiftly at the sound. Serpentor raised his heads and a small grin played on his features; 'How could the children get up here,' he thought. 'And better yet, how did they evade their guardians?'

The sound of small, bare feet slapping on hard stone grew louder as the children dashed up the stairs into the chamber. Their gray cloth tunics could be heard swishing in the air. The children's laughter was now mingled with the chuckles of the adults, as they moved to intercept the small bodies. The laughter turned to squealing, and the chuckling turned to laughter as the children dived between the adults' feet as they tried to avoid being captured by the hands reaching down for them. Many were scooped up, but just as many escaped. Serpentor laughed out loud when he saw who was leading the escape: his fourteen-year-old son, Hsss.

'So Hsss organized this escape,' thought Serpentor. 'Seems just like him.'

Hsss still had a lot of growing to do, both physically and mentally, but it seemed that he was going to be as tall as his parents. Like his father he walked plantigrade and had no tail, but her had his mother's pattern and eyes. To combine their features were his exposed fangs on long snouts, his green and gold scales, and his four extra heads. He was clever for his age, and extremely playful. His curiosity and zest often got him into trouble.

Hsss wasn't Serpentor's only child involved in this escape. His youngest daughter, four-year-old Typanna, was now squirming in her sister's arms. Like Hsss, she took after her father in appearance, with plantigrade feet and no tail. Her scales were a smooth copper, she had green eyes, short snouts with exposed fangs, and like all her other siblings she had four extra heads.

The other councilors also recognized their own children. Slither passed Typanna to Giedra in favor of her own young son, Venomus. Before long, those that were left to guard the children arrived to assist in the rounding up. They herded them back to the stairs, taking those in their parent's arms, and apologized for the interruption. Only Hsss had not been cornered. And he was not keen on being caught.

Like his father, Hsss would never go down without a fight. Even though he was surrounded, he still had a few tricks up his sleeve: like his mother, he had magical talents. As his uncle Gadrus reached down for him, Hsss teleported to the outer wall with an electrical snap and a flash of green light.

Knowing that this was going nowhere, Giedra rolled her eyes and raised a hand, curling her fingers inward. Her eyes glowed and silvery light flowed around her body. The misty substance coagulated around her outstretched hand, coiling into the shape of three serpents. And before Hsss could teleport again, the serpents shot out and coiled tightly around his body. He squirmed, in vain, for his mother's hold was unbreakable.

"Mom! Le' me go!" came the outraged cry. Giedra only grinned and dragged her son over to face his father. Struggle as he might, Hsss could not escape his fate. Serpentor sighed, shaking his head slightly. He knew this was a family matter, and so, only the family could be present.

"Leave us!" Serpentor ordered the council, and they complied without another word. He paused a moment as he watched them leave the room, Slither with them. "No, Slither, you stay," he added. His daughter looked at him with puzzlement, but obeyed. Giedra released her hold on Hsss, but remained ready to keep him from escaping. Again Serpentor sighed, and addressees his son.

"Hsss, my audacious son, I would have thought that you'd have outgrown such childishness," Serpentor's voice was both stern and gentle, alerting his son to the fact that he was in trouble and reassuring him that it wasn't too serious. "Fourteen winters and already a hot-blood. So eager to lead troops into battle."

Hsss lowered his heads and grinned sheepishly, rubbing his wrists behind his back and sweeping his feet. Giedra rolled her eyes and Slither coughed quietly. Hard as Serpentor stared at his son, Hsss wouldn't respond.

"Well? What did you think you were doing? Go right ahead, shower me with excuses!" Serpentor continued, hardly expecting his son to speak, for he was quite tight-lipped when he wanted to be. But to his surprise, Hsss didn't feel like keeping any secrets today.

"Er… We were bored, and… It was something to do?" Hsss stammered. "Um… And no one objected to my plan?" It was the truth, the children had been bored to death, and Hsss' idea to storm the council chamber was a welcome one. And by the looks of things, few didn't join him in his little adventure.

"And through all of this we see a budding leader," Slither interjected, hoping she was making a big enough hint to her father; she couldn't lead for her life, but Hsss was already followed by the masses with no question. If anyone should succeed Serpentor it should be Hsss, in her opinion.

Serpentor turned to his daughter with a gaze that mingled bewilderment with a glare. He had caught her hint, as he had many times before; her desire to be passed over as a candidate for next clan leader was quite plain. It worried him that so strong a warrior of his blood that the people would gladly follow in battle didn't want to lead. And still before him, a hot-blooded youth who was more then ready to take up the challenge. While this pleased him, Slither was still of great concern to him.

Looking back to his son, the old Patriarch noticed that he was inching back to the stairwells. Giedra had noticed as well, but made no move to stop him.

"Hsss, surely you understand that this will not go unpunished?" Serpentor called out. Hsss flinched and looked up at his father pleadingly. "Granted it will not be harsh, but there are just some things that I can't let you get away with."

"But Dad…!" Hsss exclaimed. He knew his father could be harsh, even when light. He didn't understand why he was to be punished for just having a bit of fun.

"I know, I know, you were just trying to have fun, but you could have stormed any place other than my council chamber during a meeting, couldn't you?" Serpentor interjected. His eyes scanned his mate and daughter for any reaction, but their gazes were expressionless and divided between him and Hsss. Seeing no encouragement or deterrence, Serpentor continued.

"I'm afraid you are just going to have to stay in the rookery for a few days." Hsss groaned in response.

"Dad! That's why I came here in the first place! It's boring in there!" Hsss pleaded.

"Then until you can learn the patients to handle it, you will never truly leave!" was Serpentor's reply. Hsss didn't answer; he merely stared at the floor. Knowing there was no more to be done, Serpentor called for a servant.

"Terkas!" The summoned servant entered from the stairwell. "I need you to bring my son back down to the rookery. And make sure he stays there for three days." Terkas bowed in acknowledgement and did as he was told, leading Hsss away by his arm. Once the boy was out of sight, Serpentor once again slumped in his throne.

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Elsewhere on Eternia, trouble was brewing. Smoke curled into the sky from the remains of a once prosperous community. The cries of both people and horses hung in the air. A long line of displaced people, humans mostly, snaked away from the blackened ruins on a dusty road, escorted by a garrison's worth of Snakemen on horseback. There had been another revolt, and the horse-breeding clan Equifalus was quick to put it down. But it had obviously not gone so well.

The revolts were becoming more and more violent these past few years, and this one was the first that had actually destroyed the town in which it took place. One of the rioters had set a fire with the intent to drive the horses mad with fear, but it had gotten out of control. Not only were the horses too well trained to bolt, but also the blaze had spread through the town in a matter of moments. Lives had been both lost and broken this day.

At the head of the column, the patriarch of clan Equifalus, Poseidon, rode upon his white stallion, Rime. He, like all his clan, was of the Gorgon breed, and his serpentine hair, which hung down well past his shoulders, was tied up in a halfback. His sunken yellow eyes gleamed wearily from within his flat face. Soot and blood were smeared on his sea-green scales and his black-leather-covered armor. His bare, plantigrade feet were nestled snuggly in the stirrups, while his tail was settled along the horse's rump.

Rime was in no better condition then his rider. The horse's snowy white fur was soaked with sweat, soot, and blood. His proud head was hung in exhaustion, and his stride was slow. Froth dribbled from his mouth as he panted, his armored facemask somehow seeming twice as heavy.

The now homeless townsmen followed in step behind Poseidon, huddled together, escorted by his weary troops. Most were afraid and sad, but some were angry. There was no doubt in Poseidon's mind that the angry ones were the rebels, but he'd let them go without any punishment further than the one they'd already inflicted on themselves. He turned around in the saddle and did a mental head-count of his warriors. They'd lost more horses then soldiers, it would seem, noting that no horse was without a rider, and that some carried two. Turning back to stroke Rime's neck he silently prayed that the only horses lost were geldings.

Then, quite out of nowhere, hoof beats not of his steed's gait sounded beside Poseidon. He looked up to the new rider, and the first smile that day since word of the revolt reached him crossed his face. It was his mate, Medusa; she had survived the fighting.

"How fare you, Poseidon, my love?" her deep, purring voice called out to him. Being from the same clan as her mate, Medusa was also of the Gorgon breed, with her snake-hair coiled atop her head in a tight bun. Her short-muzzled face was marred only by a small cut on her cheek, but she didn't seem to notice, her red eyes alight with her inextinguishable inner fire. Her armor and jade-green scales were cleaner than Poseidon's, which made him raise a brow, until he noticed the filthy rag tied to her belt. Always fussy, he thought, always preening aren't you, my love.

"Worse then you, no doubt, Medusa, my sweet," Poseidon replied. She grinned at this, steering her horse closer to his to clasp his forearm.

"May Serpos be praised that we both came out no worse for wear!" Medusa declared, as she moved her hand further up her mate's arm to his shoulder.

With a whiny of agitation, Medusa's own steed, Hammer, cut her and Poseidon's embrace short as he pulled away. Rime also stepped away from his stable brother, snorting; neither horse liked being in such close proximity to another stallion. Chuckling warmly at Hammer's actions, Medusa stroked the earthen-brown fur of his neck. Slowing her steed's gait, she maneuvered herself into step with the other riders behind her mate.

"We will meet back at the fortress, Poseidon!" She called out to him. Poseidon's only response was to nod and sigh. Yes, he thought, back at the fortress, but that is still a long ways away, my love. His thoughts then returned to the task at hand, relocating the villagers. He'd already sent a herald ahead to inform the next village of the soon to arrive new neighbors, but he had yet to return with the reply. Sighing he relaxed his body, closed his eyes, and allowed Rime to pick his own steps.

"Let us go, you bastards!" What now? By the sound of the voice it was a human male, in his prime, and still fiery.

"No. Its almost dark, and this is Worg country. You don't want to be here after sundown without an armed escort." It was Medusa who answered the human. Just as well, let her handle him; she was better with words anyway.

"Well most of us would rather meet our ends here than in your death-camps!" Death-camps?! What in Serpos' name was he ranting about now? Medusa paused for a moment, most likely surprised by that statement as well.

"All Snakemen cannot be held responsible for the actions of the Sidewinders!" She sounded very offended, and the human was silent for a moment.

The Sidewinders, a desert clan that was well known for their mercilessness. The High Council made sure that they were hardly ever used to put down rebellions unless there was no other alternative. Poseidon wouldn't be at all surprised if the Sidewinders did run death-camps. Stark raving mad, the lot of them.

"Liar!" Poseidon wouldn't stand idle through this any longer. Calling for a halt he brought Rime about and trotted to where Medusa and Hammer stood. As he expected the human was youngish, with flame red hair grown into a short beard and slicked down in the back. His build was average for a human, though somewhat hidden by his baggy brown tunic and leggings. What surprised Poseidon most about him was his eyebrows: They were grown very long so that they extended far beyond the edges of his head. He had never seen this before, and wondered what it meant.

"What's all this I'm hearing about death-camps?" Poseidon inquired of the human, who seemed to be loosing his nerve. "We're only taking you to the next town over. Nothing deadly about that."

"That's not true!" The redhead then turned to his fellows. "Never trust those who speak with forked-tongues!"

Poseidon had been pushed to far, and the human never expected to be struck. He reeled with the force of the blow, clutching the cheek that had been hit.

"_That_ was uncalled for!" The war-tried patriarch had never felt so furious, so offended in his life. So enraged that he was tempted to let loose his Gorgon-magic and turn this scorn to stone. So tempted that he felt his serpent hair rise and squirm against their bonds. Only his mate's talons digging into his arm spared the human from that fate. Breathing deeply to still his heart, Poseidon closed his eyes, until he finally felt his hair relax.

"Count your blessings, human, you've just been spared from my wrath. You might not be so lucky next time," Poseidon tried to speak calmly and evenly to the now cowering human, but his voice betrayed his fury. "Continue on! We may yet reach Xeraslis by sunset!"

Slowly and wearily the people and horses fell back into step behind the Gorgon patriarch. All but one.

"I'm not going!" That redheaded human again, he had broken the ranks and ran for the countryside. And again, Medusa was the first to respond.

"Let him go! If he wishes to die a Worg's feast, then so be it!" Murmurs of agreement followed her words as they continued on, the strange human's sprinting form fading into the distance.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Pikes at the ready! Begin!" Fang's loud, grating voice echoed through the chamber, and was quickly accompanied by the cracks of wood on wood. With a hint of arrogance in his step he strode between the ranks of his students putting each other through their paces, observing each and every one of their movements carefully.

"Move your feet!" he barked to one of his pupils. "And keep them moving! By Serpos, I thought I'd thought you how to hold a spear!"

The aforementioned student had had his pike struck from his hands. His opponent dutifully signaled the end of the match by laying her own spear on his shoulder. All seven of the boy's heads looked towards Fang pleadingly, while all three of hers looked smug.

"Retrieve your pike and start again from the top." Fang's voice was cold as he moved on, kicking the young Hydra's fallen spear towards him. He could be a harsh mentor, everyone knew that.

Fang almost expected to hear the snarling. It happened every lesson; some match would get out of hand, more often than not in his blind spot. Sighing, he turned to see who it was this time. But who it was surprised him.

Hsss and Soras, they were hardly ever paired together, and both were good students, haughty but good. They were the two who were most prone to doing their own thing, and obviously being paired together brought that out and even amplified it. Their pikes were currently locked, pushing against each other, while the eyes of their central heads locked as well. Soras' snarl only just bared his fangs, while Hsss looked just about ready to bite, his jaws open, his fangs dripping.

"Hsss! Soras!" The two adolescents didn't heed Fang's warning. Even three years after the little mock invasion in which they had both participated they were still bold as brass. Now is when it gets ugly, Fang thought with a sigh, either Soras is going to start fighting dirty, or Hsss is going to lash out with his magic. He had specifically instructed them to use only the techniques he taught them while training, and to only incorporate their own on the battlefield.

It was Soras who overstepped his boundaries first, turning his body and bringing up his tail to knock Hsss' feet out from under him. Hsss was caught completely off guard and toppled over backwards. But the instant his back touched the floor, and as Soras swung his pike downward towards his chest, Hsss vanished with a flash of green light and an electrical snap. Soras' staff nearly splintered against the stone floor, and Hsss' smacked harshly into his shoulder from behind.

"Hsss! Soras!" By this time Fang was upon them, his arms folded, glaring them down. By then all the other students had ceased their sparing matches to watch. Reluctantly Hsss lowered his pike, stepped away from Soras, and stood at attention, with a look of defiance in his eyes. Rubbing his aching shoulder and grumbling, Soras did the same. In the silence that followed, few dared to so much as breath.

"I do not recall teaching either of you those techniques." Fang's icy voice was laced with fire as he sized each of them up, his glass eye glinting menacingly. The two adolescents continued to look defiant and remained unmoving, their eyes locking his.

"But you do recall teaching us to do whatever was necessary to survive, yes?" It was Hsss who spoke, his deepening voice containing a hint of a growl. "I only did what would have been the only thing that would have saved me on the battlefield."

"Does this look like a battlefield to you, Hsss!" Fang roared, gesturing wildly at the room around them, pushed to the limit by Hsss insolence. "You know my rules! Both of you!"

"I'll have to agree with Hsss…" Soras began, aiding Hsss in his defiance.

"I would not so much as whimper if I were you, Soras," The enraged pike-man turned sharply and pointed a talon menacingly at the youth, baring his fangs. "It was you who first stepped out of line."

The cream colored, five-headed Hydra didn't so much as flinch at Fang's violent temper and snarl. Hsss also remained unimpressed, and decided to go all the way to the limits with his defiance.

"Your method of teaching is outdated, Old-One." Hsss' arrogant tone made Fang whip around to glare at him, eyes wide with rage. "Fighting by rules is not the way of war, and you know it. Will our enemies use the techniques you teach us, the only ones you've prepared us to do battle against? True warriors do not fight by rules, so why bother branding it in our minds to give our opponents the chance to do it their own way while we all do battle in a predictable manner?"

Fang was silent for a moment, and the other students began to murmur in agreement. Both Hsss and Soras smirked in victory, subtly brushing their knuckles together in acknowledgment of this triumph. Fang's eye never left the pair as he slowly regained his composure.

"Outdated, eh? Predictable, eh? Well, we shall see about that." As Fang struggled to keep his voice calm and even, he turned and stormed back to the open end of the room, the one used as a stage. The murmuring became even more intense, but Hsss and Soras remained unconcerned. Spinning around, Fang glared and snatched his own pike from its leaning position against the wall, holding it tightly and at the ready.

"To the front! Both of you!" The room fell dead silent at the sound of those words. Fang was a strict teacher and an experienced war veteran, and no greenhorn warrior has ever made him so much as break a sweat. For the students, fighting him was considered a punishment.

Hsss and Soras looked first to each other, then to Fang, then to their fellow students who now looked at them with pity, back to Fang, and then back to each other. Nodding slightly they strode towards the front as instructed, their nervousness slipping through their masks of defiance. Coming to a stop before Fang, they stood side by side at attention.

"Since both of you seem so keen on disregarding my method of teaching, I suggest you demonstrate to me why it is so flawed. You are to both fight me." Fang's phrasing was steady through his heavy breathing, and his glare was hard. For a moment Hsss and Soras were confused.

"So you will only use what you've taught us?" Soras asked as he moved to Fang's right, bringing his staff into the ready positing as he walked, never taking his eyes off of his teacher.

"Only those," Fang spoke calmly as he nodded slipping into his fighting crouch.

"And we may use any techniques that we choose?" Hsss inquired as he moved to Fang's left, tapping his own pike lightly in his hands and twirling it slightly.

"Whatever suits you best," Fang answered adjusting his head so that both students were in his sights. "Begin!"

Soras made the first move, rushing his teacher swinging his pike towards his head. Fang ducked effortlessly and smacked the staff far to the side with his own, throwing Soras off balance. Hsss charged in next, swinging his pike low, only to have Fang summersault over it and bring his own staff up to swipe at Hsss' collarbone, forcing him back.

The two adolescents fell back to regain their composure, while Fang stood straight between them, his pike held loosely at his side. Slowly, he turned around in place to look at both of his students. He smirked when they hesitated to attack again, and decided to taunt them.

"Is this it? Is this the extent of your abilities, Soras? Is this all you can conjure, Hsss? I had expected better."

With shrieks of fury both Hsss and Soras charged in, their pikes slicing the air as they were swung at Fang's midriff from opposite sides. But again the old warrior leapt clear and the two staffs locked beneath him. He jabbed the end of his own pike harshly into Hsss' sternum and Hsss fell away. When he landed he brought the other end of his pike to do the same to Soras. But he strafed away and caught the spear in his fist, pulling it and Fang towards him with a jerk. But Fang was not to be bested so easily, and threw his weight behind his end of the pike, wrenching it from Soras' grip and throwing his student to the floor.

While struggled to rise Fang paced before them tapping his staff lightly in his hands.

"Are you quite finished yet? Have I sufficiently proven my point?" His only reply was Soras gripping Hsss beneath the arm to help him stand, and both of their hard glares. They were far from finished.

With another snap and green flash Hsss vanished once more. But Fang was not easily fooled and spun around to neatly parry the pike that swung for his neck. Hsss was shocked that someone had anticipated his move, but Soras did not miss a beat, thrusting his pike at Fang's knee. But it, too, was dodged and parried by the other end of Fang's staff.

Time to end this, the old warrior thought with a scowl. While Soras was still regaining his balance, and while Hsss was preparing another high swing, Fang swung his pike hard, right into Hsss' gut. Gasping for the breath that had been forced from his lungs Hsss dropped his staff in favor of clutching at his midriff. With a small twirl Fang readied his pike for another swing, this time the hard wood smacked into Hsss' back, right where his necks joined. Fang gave a slight nod of satisfaction as Hsss' legs gave out and he collapsed to the floor.

Soras' next attack was just as Fang predicted, and before Soras knew what hit him his wrist was struck and his pike dropped from his hand. Fang deftly kicked the fallen staff away and prepared his next strike. Soras acted on instinct, and charged in with his fist raised for a punch. But Fang was faster, and his pike connected with Soras' central jaw, sending him reeling to the side. Soras tasted blood, and before he knew it Fang had knocked his knees out from under him with his back swing.

Satisfied that his rebellious students had been soundly defeated, Fang turned to his other pupils and viewed them with a triumphant expression.

"If there is anyone else who doubts my methods of teaching let them speak now." Fang didn't expect them reply, and their silence felt satisfying. "Well then, now that that's all over with, you are dismissed."

Slowly the students turned and filed out of the room into the open hall, leaving their staffs leaning against the wall as they left. Sighing, Fang turned as well to collect Hsss and Soras' discarded pikes. Both of them were struggling to rise, panting. As Fang walked past them he said nothing, not even to the trickle of blood flowing down Soras' chin, or to the bruises that were blossoming on both Hsss' back and gut.

Soras was the first to stand, albeit shakily, gingerly checking his jaw with one hand to make sure that no teeth had been broken. But Hsss was still trying to regain his breath, and his limbs would not support his weight. Hesitantly, Soras approached his fallen partner-in-crime, looking desperately between him and their teacher, but Fang kept his back to his students while he put the pikes back in their proper place in a bundle against the wall. Not receiving any response, he reached down and hefted Hsss' limp form into a weak standing position with his arm and two heads thrown over Soras' shoulder while he slipped his own arm and two of his heads under Hsss' other arm to support him. Fang didn't say a word as they limped from the chamber.

The greenstone hallway was rather empty, despite the fact that the other students had only just left, and that it was only a few hours past noon, normally the busiest time of day. Sunlight streamed in from the high windows and the occasional skylight. Unlit torches lined the walls awaiting the coming of dusk, their tops blackened and some of them still smoking slightly from their last flame. Soras' footsteps and Hsss' shuffling echoed quietly as they traversed the hall, heading nowhere in particular, but both hoped that they were headed in the general direction of the infirmary to at least get some pain killers.

"Well, it was fun while it lasted, wasn't it?" Hsss wheezed suddenly, half a grin appearing on his central head.

"Yes, it was. Painful, but fun nonetheless," Soras replied, grinning back, only dimly aware of the blood that was still dribbling down his chin. They were both silent for a moment while the continued on, before breaking out into nervous laughter. So caught up he was in his own little world, Soras barely noticed that Hsss was pushing against his shoulder a little harder than his weight would suggest.

"Soras, I think I can stand on my own now," Hsss half growled through his chuckling, as he tried to shove himself away from his companion. Soras grudgingly complied, releasing Hsss from his grasp. He stumbled a few steps before finding his feet, and they continued to walk side by side in silence, Hsss with an arm on his midriff. Their footsteps continued to echo, and both took note of the stillness.

"Where is everybody?" Soras wondered aloud, scanning the side corridors, which were just as empty as the one they were walking in.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Hsss shrugged in reply. But as if in answer to their question the two adolescents heard a slightly distant tumult of voices coming from the main hall. They paused for a moment, and then looked between each other. In an unexpected move, Soras turned and rushed towards the main hall's nearest entrance, leaving a stunned Hsss to hobble after him.

"Hey, wait up!" Hsss rasped as he tried to follow, his strides shortened by the pain in his abdomen. When he finally did catch up, he found Soras leaning over the balcony looking into the main hall, which now seemed to hold a good chunk of the clan's population. Hsss also noticed that many of their fellow students were here on the parapet as well.

"It would seem that we have a messenger," Soras noted as the shrill whinny of an agitated horse rang out and echoed through the hall. Hsss nodded as he, too, saw the white-caped Snakeman mounted on a rearing, black horse in the center of the massive room.

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Eight days ago a summons had been sent out from the priests in Midgar, to be distributed through Clan Equifalus to all the clans. Seven days ago the young Gorgon rider had been given his own summons and one to take to Clan Quetzalcoalus. Both he and his black mare were tired, sweaty, and dusty from the long road when they finally did reached Tamat. Both were in desperate need of rest, but the summons was urgent, and time was not to be wasted.

It seemed as though his appearance at the gates of the citadel came as a complete surprise, for his white messenger's cloak had drawn quite a crowd. The main hall seemed to contain the entire population from what he could tell. His mare was not used to such crowds, and reared, whinnying restlessly. He whispered softly to her, stroking her onyx neck gently.

As the horse settled, so did the crowd. The murmuring faded and they all stared at him expectantly, waiting for him to state his purpose. He would not make them wait.

"I bring a message for Serpentor, Patriarch of Clan Quetzalcoalus, from the priests at Midgar," the rider spoke loud and clear, his words eliciting more whispers from the crowd. "If someone would take my horse, and bring me to him, I can deliver it."

A young, nine-headed Hydra approached the Gorgon as he dismounted and took the reigns. Muttering to calm his steed the rider allowed her to be led off, while another, older Hydra, a green and copper, seven-headed one, motioned for him to follow. The crowd parted for them like flesh for a blade as the rider was led into the heart of the citadel.

The journey was uneventful, as no one stopped them and neither of them spoke a word. The only thing that the rider noticed was how many fights of stairs they had to go up. It was beginning to wear on his knees. And it didn't help that he was already soar from riding for seven days with few breaks.

When they finally reached the panicle, Serpentor was waiting for them, gazing silently out over the plain around the citadel, his arms clasped behind his back. He turned slowly when he saw them, nodding slightly to first his fellow Hydra, and then to the messenger. Both the Gorgon and his escort bowed in reply.

"That will do, Gadrus, you may go." Serpentor spoke calmly, as he gestured subtly to seven-headed Hydra. The aforementioned Gadrus bowed even lower as he turned and walked back down the stairs. The Patriarch then focused on the rider, looking him up and down, and shifting his weight from foot to foot, almost as if sizing him up as an opponent.

"I had expected someone older, you seem a bit young for a messenger." Serpentor's eyes narrowed as he spoke, and he began to shift his weight even more.

"They still don't consider me old enough to ride into battle, my lord," the Gorgon spoke with a little trepidation. Serpentor grinned in response.

"As they rightly should, as you are still a child by their reckoning, albeit a mature one; old enough to take care of yourself on the road, but not yet on the field of battle." The rider looked a little sheepish at Serpentor's response. The old patriarch cocked his head slightly, staring at him, as if he saw something familiar in his face. After a moment of silence, he continued.

"What is your name, young-one?" Serpentor's voice was unusually quiet, as though trying to answer the question himself before having it given to him. He looked hard at the young Gorgon's face, the gray-green scales seeming to scream the explanation but he couldn't make out the words. The rider was confused by this behavior, but respectfully replied anyway.

"Snake Face, son of Poseidon, my lord." Serpentor's eyes lit up with recognition, realizing the origin of that flat-ish face.

"Ah, yes! I might have guessed your birthright. You look just like your father, did you know that?" Snake Face half nodded, half shook his head, pushing his white cloak back to reveal his plantigrade feet, and apparent lack of a tail. "All except for the tail, must get that from your mother. I've fought along side both of them, and they are both great warriors. But I'm sure you're told that all the time."

The young Gorgon nodded again, and rolled his eyes, half smirking as memories arose to confirm Serpentor's statement. Sighing and grinning slightly, Serpentor nodded back, before the grin faded, as he knew that there were obviously more important things to discuss.

"But, on to the reason you are here, Snake Face. I am told that you bring a message from the priests of Midgar, am I right?" Serpentor spoke darkly. Whenever the priests contacted them it always meant that something was wrong, terribly wrong. The last time they issued a summons was to deliver the warning that the Chaos Bringer had his sights set on Eternia, and that he would strike once the people were divided. That was back when he was seventeen winters of age.

"Yes, I do," Snake Face replied as he reached beneath his cloak to the satchel attached to his belt, from which he drew forth a metal, leather wrapped cylinder. He deftly twisted the top off, tucked it under his arm, and dumped the contents of the container into his hand. With near professional precision, Snake Face tucked the canister under the same arm as the lid, passed the rolled up parchment to his other hand, and handed it to Serpentor.

The old Hydra took the ivory-white parchment hesitantly, turning it over and over in his hands, running a clawed finger around the Midgar seal, a depiction of Serpos, before carefully breaking it. He unrolled it slowly and read it over, once, twice, three times, letting its message sink in. His face darkened, and he felt his mouths becoming dry. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he prepared to do what needed to be done, and by Serpos he had wished that he'd never have to.

"Terkas!" The servant standing off to the side of the room that Snake Face didn't even notice stepped forward. "I need you to find Hsss and bring him here."

Serpentor's voice was wavering as he spoke those words. As Terkas complied with his order, the old patriarch began losing his composure. By all the gods and demons I never wanted for Hsss to become involved, he thought, desperately trying to hold back the tears.

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"Look at it this way, it could have been much worse, considering old Dead Eye," Soras stated as he paced a few steps in the infirmary, dabbing his central jaw with a wet cloth. Next to him Hsss sat on a wooden, cloth-covered examining table with a steaming mug of a strong smelling herbal tea in his hand, the painkiller he'd hoped for. Nearby the healer on duty was cleaning a few surgery knives, still shaking her head slightly at the predicament the two adolescents had described landing themselves in with Fang.

"Yes, much worse indeed," Hsss replied as he took a sip of the tea, flinching slightly at the heat. The infirmary was a long, stone room lined with tables like the one Hsss was sitting on. Between each of the tables was a small, running water sink with a collection of surgery knives hanging on racks above each one. From the ceiling hung a great variety of herbs, giving the room a very homely smell.

"You two are both very lucky he didn't break any of your bones," the healer interjected almost casually as she ran a talon along the edge of the scalpel she had been cleaning. Both boys nodded in response, Hsss taking another gulp of the tea.

A rather loud throat clearing caught all their attentions. All three of them looked up quickly to see Terkas standing in the doorway, staring at Hsss.

"There you are, Hsss. Fang said you might be here," Terkas said softly, stepping into the room.

"Hello Terkas. What did I do this time?" Hsss replied with a hint of sarcasm. Soras smirked and tried to hide it with the cloth.

"As far as I know, nothing you haven't already been punished for." Soras snorted in laughter, and Hsss narrowed his eyes at him. "Your father wants to see you."

"What about?" Hsss asked as he raised a brow.

"As far as I could tell it's about the message from Midgar." Terkas' expression darkened as he spoke. "I have a feeling it doesn't bode well."

"What does this message have to do with me?" Hsss was becoming increasingly more worried.

"He didn't say." Hsss frowned, sighed, and downed the last of the tea, setting the empty mug next to the sink. "Come, he is waiting."

"Where?" Hsss asked as he hopped off the table.

"In the council room." Hsss nodded and closed his eyes, picturing the layout of that chamber in his mind. He could feel the presences of two others, one his father, the other he didn't know. Fortifying the image he prepared.

"Hsss, wait!" But Hsss did not heed Terkas, his mind centered on the council room. And before he could be broken out of his trance, he was gone in a flash of green light, the air snapping around the area he once occupied.

An instant later Hsss reappeared in the council room with another flash, eliciting a yelp from the Gorgon he presumed to be the messenger. His father was only slightly surprised by his sudden appearance.

"You summoned me, father?" Hsss stood up straight, at attention as he had done earlier for Fang. The way his father looked at him, such a sad gaze, was unnerving. Sighing and averting his eyes, Serpentor began to speak.

"As you undoubtedly know by now, a message has come from Midgar. But it is not just any message; it is a summons. You, Hsss, have been summoned." Serpentor's voice was cracking as he tried to choke back the tears that were threatening. Now he knew what his own father felt like when his son was called for by the priests. And he knew well what Hsss would soon feel.

"But… why?" Hsss, too, was uneasy, having picked up on his father's woefulness. Serpentor swallowed heavily and hesitantly approached his son.

"War is brewing, it would seem. You can read it for yourself," Serpentor murmured weakly as he handed over the parchment. He turned away as Hsss took it, hanging his heads, slowly running his hands up and down his arms in a failing effort to calm himself. Slowly and unsurely he unrolled the parchment and began to read.

_Serpentor, Patriarch of Clan Quetzalcoalus,_

_Word may have reached your ears by now of how the increasingly hostile human revolts are spreading to the other races. You may have also heard of the man who leads them, Grayskull. He has become too dangerous and has gained too much power, though we, the priests of Midgar, will take partial responsibility for his ascent to power. _

_Grayskull is the greatest threat we have ever encountered and it will take the combined might of all the Snakemen clans to keep Eternia united under one banner. One young, potential leader has been summoned from each clan. From Quetzalcoalus we summon your son Hsss. He is to report to Midgar as soon as is possible. All the information he needs will be received there._

_In Serpos' name,_

_Asp'rios, High Priest of Serpos_

For a moment, Hsss was not sure what to say. He stared blankly at the parchment, and felt the bottom drop out of his stomach.

"I… I'm not quite sure I understand…" was all Hsss could muster. He was so unnerved that he didn't even resist like he normally did when his father pulled him into an embrace.

"I never wanted you involved in this war, Hsss, not this young!" Serpentor no longer bothering to hold back the tears and sobbed, hugging his son tighter to his chest, never wanting to let him leave; wanting him to be a child forever.

With that thought, Serpentor broke away from Hsss, holding him by the shoulders at arm's length. No, he had to let him grow up. Slowly he regained his composure, until he was ready to speak again.

"But we cannot resist our destinies," he said softly, and meekly, a state few had ever seen him in before. "Pack what you need for a long journey, Hsss. You leave tomorrow."


	4. Chapter 3

Yay! A review! I feel so happy and bubbly inside! Thankyou for taking the time to read this. On with the story.

A/N: Some of the events in this chapter are based off of my own horseback riding experiences. Except I haveno idea what it feels like for a guy, and I have(thankfully) never fallen off.

Chapter 3

Snake Face lay awake in the bed that had been provided for him by the clan that night. After the message was delivered no attention was paid to him, not even when he lost his composure over Serpentor's son's teleportation. What was his name? Hsss he'd been called. He felt embarrassed about his little yelp, but no one seemed to notice.

Only once arrangements were made was he paid any mind, Serpentor's aid taking him to temporary quarters for a rest before he set off again in the morning. He was grateful for the hospitality, and considering how exhausted he was there was no way he could refuse. He went back to his horse first, to make sure she was settled in and to fetch his saddlebag before allowing himself to be escorted to his room. As soon as he entered he had dropped his satchels unceremoniously to the floor, and was asleep a second later on the bed without having removed his road dirtied clothing.

He awoke some hours later, but he had no way of telling how long he slept for the room was windowless, lit only by a small oil lamp that still burned. Suddenly feeling very much awake, he took the opportunity to remove his clothes and put on a fresh pair of britches. Sitting himself back on the bed, he took a moment to examine the room.

It wasn't very large; by Snake Face's reckoning it would not have been able to comfortably house two horses were it a stable. It was close to being square, not that it much mattered. Like the rest of the citadel it was carved from greenstone, and smoothed to perfection. The furniture was plain, just a wood-frame bed with a simple straw mattress, a smallish nightstand that held the oil lamp, and a dresser with a metal, water filled basin on top of it. Noting this, Snake Face took a moment to wash his face, taking great care to allow the water to seep between his serpent locks.

And that brought him up to the present when he couldn't fall back asleep. He was content to lay back with his hands interlocked behind his head, watching the tiny flame cast shadows upon the walls. His mind began to wander, as it often did while he tried to sleep.

He remembered how Serpentor had lost it reading the message. His father had lost it, too, but his mother had taken it the worst, raving about how Midgar would never leave her and her children be. Neither they, nor Serpentor had said what it was that upset them, and Snake Face could only assume it was the same thing.

Yawning, he absently stretched and scratched at a loose patch of scales on his side. Running his other hand through his unrestrained serpent hair, he looked back to the lamp. Watching the little flame dance for a moment an idea came to him, something he had been dieing to try ever since he'd seen his parents, and others, do it. Slowly and carefully he reached for the fire, his forefinger and thumb outstretched, and made a grab for the flame.

But it burned him, and Snake Face recoiled with a yelp. Sucking on his injured fingers to sooth the pain, he stared intently at the fire, which seemed to be mocking him. Cocking his head he released his now wet fingers and reached for the flame again, lower this time. The pads of his fingers closed around the place where flame met wick, and it was extinguished with a hiss.

The room was instantly plunged into total blackness, but Snake Face grinned in triumph nonetheless. It never occurred to him that that might have been a bad idea. He lay back down on the bed and turned over, closing his eyes, and was asleep again before he knew it.

"But I've never ridden Saber before!" Hsss protested as his father led him down to the stables. "You've never so much as let me near the cat! Why can't I teleport?"

Hsss now wore a pair of leather riding britches and a leather jerkin, much like what Snake Face had worn. They were borrowed from his father, but the satchel that was slung over his shoulder was his, though some of the satchel's contents were in fact borrowed.

For the most part, Serpentor ignored his son, striding purposefully to the stall that housed his ever-faithful steed. Neither of them noticed that they'd passed Snake Face, once more dressed in his riding gear, as he brushed down his horse, but he noticed them.

"Teleportation is too dangerous! It's too far a distance, and you've never seen Midgar in your life! You'd be sure to end up in a wall! And you're most certainly not walking from here to Midgar!" Serpentor shot back over his shoulder as he walked, before coming to a sudden stop in front of a particular stall. "And Saber is the only one I can really trust with you."

The aforementioned cat stirred at the sound of his name, opening his red, lamp-like eyes to look at them. As a child Hsss had always thought the Saber was huge, and even when he had gone through his final growth spurt the cat still seemed enormous. He was about six feet high at the shoulder, and built robust, with heavily muscled shoulders and neck. He had a stubby tail and two long fangs jutting from his upper jaw, about foot apiece. His fur was a deep, royal blue, marred only by the crimson that dappled his body.

Yawning widely, Saber stood, stretched with a few cracks, and padded over to the stall door, butting his head against Serpentor's hand, a deep rumbling issuing from his throat. Hsss edged away nervously, as his father opened the gate to let the azure cat out.

"Father! Saber is a _War Cat_!" Hsss' eyes were wide with fear as he watched the blue feline push himself against Serpentor. "I've never ridden anything in my life and you expect me to be able to handle a War Cat on my first time in the saddle?"

Nearby, Snake Face couldn't help but watch the scene unfold as he saddled his horse. He understood Hsss' trepidation, for he had seen how War Horses had to be handled. He doubted War Cats were any different.

"Saber's a good boy."

"But he's still a War Cat!"

Snake Face felt that he had a solution to their problem, and the more he thought about it the more it seemed like a good idea. But should he present it? Might as well. Clearing his throat, he approached them, leading his mare by her reins.

"I couldn't help but overhear your dilemma, and I believe I have a way to fix it." Snake Face's wording was somewhat uneasy, but they seemed ready to listen. "You see, I have to go to Midgar as well, and I was thinking that maybe we could go on the same horse."

Hsss seemed relieved by the offer, but Serpentor narrowed his eyes and cocked his head ever so slightly.

"How can I trust you with my son? I may know your parents, but I do not know you." Serpentor's voice contained the hint of a protective growl, which caused Snake Face to be a bit taken aback.

"Trust that as a messenger I am bound to my word." For emphasis he shifted his shoulder and allowed his white cloak to slip over it.

"I see... so I must take your word for it…" Serpentor skeptically murmured, the last bit to himself than to the Gorgon, as he approached the black mare and looked her up and down. "Are you sure this horse is strong enough to hold both of you?"

"Oh yes, Ebony's been able to carry both my parents, as well as me, when I was a child." Snake Face looked over to Hsss who seemed to really like the idea. "And she's gentle, a training horse. Real patient."

As Hsss approached her as well, Ebony tossed her head and whickered, startling him.

"Don't worry, she's less than likely to bite than a War Cat, if that's what concerns you. In fact, I don't think she's ever bitten anybody," Snake Face reassured, and Hsss gingerly placed a hand on her forehead. Ebony whickered again as Hsss stroked her neck.

"You see, Ebony's a good girl, aren't you, Ebs." Snake Face's voice began to lapse into a highly fluctuated one that the horse seemed to like even more.

"Well, if you are both taken with the idea, than I guess it is all right with me," Serpentor said after a while, seeing that they were right about how Saber was too volatile for an inexperienced rider. He was sure he heard his son hissing 'yes' as soon as the words left his mouth. But neither of them noticed his look of worry.

Snake Face grinned and nodded, tugging slightly on Hsss' upper arm as an indication to follow him into the courtyard while he led Ebony. Serpentor sighed as he watched them go, and turned back to Saber. Rubbing the cat's neck he lapsed into the same voice that the Gorgon had used for Ebony.

"You're a good boy, Saber, but you're still a War Cat." Saber purred and rubbed against him nonetheless.

Meanwhile in the courtyard, Snake Face was securing his and Hsss' saddlebags onto Ebony's back, and giving Hsss a few pointers on riding.

"Always mount on the left side of the animal, by placing your left foot in the stirrup, and swinging your right leg over the rump. Be sure to place one hand on the horn of the saddle to steady yourself," Snake Face explained, demonstrating the maneuver as slowly as he could. "Dismounting is the same, only backwards. Since time seems to be of the essence I won't be able to give you a proper riding lesson right now. Maybe while we're on the road, but for now you'll ride behind me."

Snake Face reached down from his mounted position. Hsss approached hesitantly, unsure of what to do.

"Take my hand with your left and put your right on Ebony's rump." Hsss did as he was instructed. " Now I'll help you pull yourself up; and do what I told you to do for mounting."

Snake Face pulled hard, and Hsss pulled back, only to overshoot and fall off the other side of the horse. The young Gorgon winced in sympathy, remembering his first fall from a horse, and turned Ebony around so that Hsss was once more on the left side. Groaning, the Hydra struggled to stand.

"Don't worry, you'll get it. Now let's try that again," Snake Face reassured as he offered his hand again. As before, Hsss took it, but this time he managed to stay on Ebony's back once he'd pulled himself up.

"Good. Now if you want to stay on while we're moving you have to be holding on to me." Snake Face turned as he spoke, lifting his arms slightly. "Just wrap your arms around my chest and hold on tight."

With much trepidation Hsss did as instructed. He felt Ebony shift beneath them and tightened his grip, burying his central head into the Gorgon's back, squeezing his eyes shut.

"What are you, part constrictor! Le' me breath! Le' me breath! Le' me breath!" Snake Face's shriek came out in an almost constant stream, startling Hsss into slacking his vice-like grip. Hearing her rider coughing and sputtering, Ebony shifted again, almost causing Hsss to squeeze too hard again.

"Not so firm, I won't be able to steer her if I can't breath," Snake Face wheezed. "Gently! You alright back there?"

"No," Hsss whimpered in reply.

"It's fine to be scared, but you'll get used to it. I reckon by the time we get to Midgar I'd have made a half decent rider out of you." But Hsss didn't exactly find those words too reassuring. "Oh, and by the way, the name's Snake Face. Yours?"

"It's Hsss." He sounded a tad ill as he spoke.

A soft growling behind them caught their attention relatively quickly. Turning they spotted Serpentor riding up to them, mounted on Saber. Noticing their puzzlement, he explained.

"Since I already had Saber out I thought that I might as well see you two off," Serpentor shrugged casually as he turned the blue cat around to stand parallel with Ebony. "Are you going or not?"

"Might as well get it over with." Hsss sounded like he was going to vomit, a fact that unnerved Snake Face.

"Don't worry! You'll get used to it. Just hang on, securely, not tightly." He turned around as he spoke, and noticed the Hsss' extra heads were dangling limply at his sides. "Um, you might feel better if you coil those extra heads around your torso."

Hsss did as the Gorgon suggested, but he still felt just as ill. Nodding, Snake Face turned back to the front and clicked his tongue twice, prompting Ebony into a slow walk. With a slight squeeze to the sides, Saber padded after them.

Few were out this early in the morning, just the guards. The watch would change soon, and with it most of the citadel would awaken. Hsss was glad that the courtyard was empty, so only Snake Face and Ebony saw his embarrassing fall from her back. He'd felt like such a failure.

No words were exchanged when the guards opened the main gate for the riders. The large, enameled steel, double doors rumbled outward slowly, just enough for the horse and the cat to squeeze through. The dawn light made the long grass and the dusty road look gray; the sun had yet to peek over the eastern horizon. Hsss and Snake Face would be riding east to Midgar.

"Now I'm just going to be riding with you until we crest that hill over yonder," Serpentor said softly, as though not to disturb the peace of the dawn, pointing to the hill he meant. "Then Saber and I will head back, alright?"

Snake Face nodded and nudged Ebony in the sides, spurring her into a canter. Serpentor followed suit.

Hsss was not happy with the sudden change in movement. He had felt like he had just gotten used to the horse walking, too. It jarred him, and his groin was starting to ache. All he could do was hang onto Snake Face and close his eyes. He tried to stop it, but the smallest whimpers escaped him. He had to ride like this for how long? Seven to eight days, he remembered. He wasn't going to survive this. He would have rather risked teleportation.

Snake Face heard his companion's whimpers, and felt him bury his central head into his back, but he chose not to say anything. He remembered his first time on a horse well, and remembered how terrifying it was. But he got used to it, and so would Hsss.

Beside them Serpentor rode in a very relaxed manner, with only one hand holding the reins. His other was gripping the back edge of the saddle. His two extra heads were held partially aloft and bounced with each stride Saber took. The cat's movements seemed foreign to Snake Face, but he figured that different anatomy meant different step, and Serpentor seemed to be doing all right.

The ride to the crest of the hill didn't seem to take all that long, and as he said he would, Serpentor brought Saber to a halt. The cat's irritated growl caused Hsss to open an eye to peer behind him. The last sight he would have of his father for many days would be of him mounted on the great, blue, rearing cat, one hand on the reins, the other thrown out to the side, and his two extra heads spread wide for balance.

"Just to warn you, I'll be picking up the pace now." The sound of Snake Face's voice brought Hsss back to the present moment, and he closed his eyes again in anticipation. With a sharp kick to the sides, Ebony jerked from canter to full gallop, racing across the plane, just as the sun crested the horizon.

It was midday when Snake Face slowed Ebony to a walk, and then to a stop by a meadow pond. Hsss' mind was muddled by the pain in his groin and thighs, so he barely registered that he'd been given permission to get off. But get off he did, in the only way he could at the time: falling. Thankfully he was out cold before he hit the ground.

Snake Face sighed and maneuvered Ebony away from Hsss' unconscious form before dismounting himself. He removed the mare's bridal, and released the catches connecting the saddlebags to the saddle so he could let her drink and graze. He set the bags on the ground and crouched beside the water, watching his horse out of the corner of his eye as she drank. Cupping the water in his hands, he deftly tossed it onto Hsss' nearest head.

The Hydra awoke sputtering and groaning, trying to untangle himself from his own necks. Snake Face merely splashed water on his own face, keeping his back to him. Hsss could barely think through the pain.

"Everything hurts!" he moaned, trying to avoid movement. Snake Face looked up and Ebony snorted.

"Everything? Well, riding does involve muscles you never knew you had. Right on the inside of the thigh and calf." The gorgon slapped the aforementioned locations on his legs for emphasis. "I said it before, and I'll say it again: you'll get use to it. Trust me."

But Hsss didn't seem so ready to trust, evidenced by his groan. Frowning, Snake Face reached for his saddlebag and began rummaging around inside. Eventually he produced a small, brass canister, the weight of which he tested in his hand. Almost cautiously he crawled over to Hsss, propped him up against his knee, and pressed the container into his hands.

"This is a salve for saddle burn. Just apply it on the parts of your legs that rubbed against the horse." Snake Face released Hsss while he spoke and turned back to the pond. "Don't worry, I won't look."

Grinding his jaws against the pain, Hsss managed to rise enough to remove his riding britches before he collapsed again. He hissed as he saw the extent of the damage: the scales on his inner thighs and calves were rubbed raw, even reddened. Unscrewing the lid on the canister, he dipped his fingers into the blue gel contained within, and smeared the cold substance along the raw patches of scales. It soothed almost instantly, and he sighed in relief.

"Don't use too much. I reckon both of us will be needing it by the time we get to Midgar," Snake Face called to him, still hunched over the water, drinking from his cupped hands.

"Of that I am sure," came Hsss' reply as he continued to rub the salve into the ragged scales, making sure to thoroughly but sparingly do both legs. Satisfied now that the pain was dulled he screwed the top back on and pulled his britches up.

"You done?" Snake Face called out again, half over his shoulder. "You decent?"

"Yes," Hsss answered as he turned back to face his companion, who turned as well, holding out a hand.

"Good. Now give it to me. Just toss it over." Hsss complied, lightly throwing the canister back to Snake Face. He caught it easily and tucked it back into his saddlebag. Hsss crawled over to Snake Face's side at the pond and dunked all five of his heads into the cool water. The Gorgon raised a brow at this.

"Are you sure that's safe?" As if in response, Hsss came sputtering and gasping back up to the surface, water making rivulets down his necks. "Well when we're all rested, we'll be heading off again."

Hsss groaned and Ebony snorted, tossing her head. With both of them staring at him, all Snake Face could do was shrug.

The rest of the day's riding was rather uneventful. Hsss managed to get back on the horse without falling, and by sundown he had gotten off in the correct manner. They had stopped for the night beneath a large, solitary tree in a field. Like before, Snake Face removed Ebony's bridal and the saddlebags, but this time he also removed the saddle itself.

"You did very well today, Hsss," the Grogan reassured, patting Hsss' shoulder as he sat down beside him against the tree. "Especially for someone who had never ridden anything in their life."

"Everything still hurts," Hsss replied, as he massaged the temples on his central head, trying to block out the pain.

"You'll feel much better after some sleep." The sky slipped into dusk, just as Snake Face spoke those words. Shifting he dragged the two saddlebags towards him and reached into his own. Pulling out another cloak, a brown one, heavier than his white messenger cloak, he turned to Hsss.

"You have a cloak? You're going to need it, it gets awfully cold at night out here." Snake Face cocked his head as he asked. "If you don't I have a spare blanket you can use…"

"No," Hsss said almost sharply as he grabbed the gorgon's hand as it reached back into the bag. "No, I have my own."

He grabbed his own saddlebag and pulled out a thick, green, fur cloak. It was his father's really, but Serpentor made him take it. Snake Face was obviously impressed by it.

"Well and good. Now lets try and get some sleep." He wrapped the brown cloak about himself as he spoke, turning away.

"What about Ebony?" Hsss asked with trepidation as he stared at the black horse grazing some distance away.

"She won't wander far. She never has." A cold distant howl sounded, starling all three of them. Hsss' pain was gone in an instant, replaced by fear.

"Shouldn't one of us keep watch? Isn't this Worg country?" The light was fading rather rapidly, and with it the temperature fell drastically. Hsss shivered and wrapped himself tightly in the fur cloak.

"Horses sleep lightly. If someone or something were to approach us, Ebony would be the first to know about it. But I don't think this is Worg country anyway, too flat, they prefer hills. Don't worry! I survived out here seven days with only her as a sentinel. Just try to get some sleep."

But Hsss was not so easily reassured, and he lay awake, eyes wide as night descended. He startled at every little sound, only to realize that it was only Ebony, or the wind in the tree. Eventually the cold got to him and he drifted off, completely buried under his green cloak.

Hsss awoke to some snuffling on his cloak, which was quickly pulled away with the sound of Snake Face's voice. His senses slowly came back to him and he shifted beneath the green fur.

"Hsss? You awake?" A hand came out of nowhere and shook his shoulder, jarring the cloak from over his central head. "It's time to get up, Hsss."

The Hydra blinked as the fresh dawn sunlight hit his eyes. Snake Face stood over him, hand still on his shoulder, but his other hand was hidden, holding something. Nearby, Ebony milled around grazing, whickering every once and awhile. A thin mist hung over the field, but it was fading fast. The air was cold, but the sun was warm.

Snake Face took his hand off of Hsss' shoulder and shifted so as to show him what he held. It was a small leather sack with three round bulges in it.

"You hungry?" Hsss nodded, and Snake Face passed him the bag. "These are bird eggs. I noosed the mother before the sun came up, ate her, and brought you the eggs. They're fresh."

Curious, Hsss worked the ties of the sack and peeked inside. Sure enough it contained three, rather large, lavender eggs with cream-colored dapples. They smelled delicious.

"Thank you," Hsss murmured as he picked up one of the eggs and tested its weight in his hands.

"Any time," Snake Face whispered in reply as he went to collect Ebony's tack. Hsss lifted the egg to his central head and opened his mouth. His thin, forked tongue shot out and tried to wrap around it, to drag it inside. He felt his lower jaw partially detach to accommodate the egg's size. He closed his mouth around it and felt the egg slide down his throat. As his lower jaw hinged back into place, his throat muscles contracted, crushing the egg's shell. Swallowing completely, he went to repeat the process on the other two eggs.

By the time he was done the mist had cleared, and Snake Face had finished saddling Ebony. Without saying a word, they both gathered their stuff into their saddlebags. Once Snake Face had secured them, he took hold of Ebony's reins and stood at her head, looking expectantly at Hsss. All the Hydra could do was look between the two with a confused expression.

"Well… aren't you going to get on and help me up behind you…?" Hsss gestured between Snake Face, Ebony, and himself, thought somewhat loosely. The gorgon shrugged and waved a hand at the saddle before he spoke.

"Not now. I felt you could benefit from a ridding lesson proper, and since we made such progress yesterday, I believe that today would be a good time for it. Go on, mount up, I'll be riding behind you today." Nodding hesitantly, Hsss approached Ebony and placed his hands on her saddle. "Remember: left foot in the stirrup, push up with both hands, and swing your right leg over."

Hsss did as instructed, and found himself nestled comfortably in the saddle. It suddenly seemed effortless, and he got a small sense of power from it.

"Good, much easier with the stirrups isn't it? Make sure both feet are secure. Comfortable?" With a smile, Hsss nodded. "Good. Here I come."

Snake Face tossed the reins over Ebony's head to Hsss, and moved to the horse's left side.

"Take the reins. Now reach your left had down to me. Good. Now when I saw 'pull', I want you to lean to your right, and I'll use that to pull myself up. Don't worry, the only one who has any chance of falling is me if you're properly secured." Snake Face took Hsss' hand as he braced himself. "Pull!"

In one surprisingly smooth motion Hsss hauled Snake Face onto Ebony's back. The gorgon settled himself and gripped his companion by the shoulders.

"Alright, now for the steering basics." He grabbed both of Hsss' elbows and tugged them in either direction as he spoke. "Pull left to turn left, pull right to turn right. Pull back to slow or stop, and a nudge to the sides will make her speed up. You got that?"

"It seems simple enough," Hsss replied as Ebony shifted, but it no longer frightened him.

"Yes, it is. The hard part is getting adjusted to the horse. They all react differently." Snake Face's hands slid back up to Hsss' shoulders. "Now Ebony starts walking from an verbal signal: two tongue clicks in rapid succession. Can you do that?"

Hsss' only response was to expertly mimic the sound Snake Face had made when they'd first started. On the command, Ebony began walking and Snake Face couldn't help but grin.

"Good, good. Now steer her onto the road." Hsss pulled on her left rein and she turned without a struggle. "You ready to pick up the pace yet, or would you rather keep it slow for a while?"

"I'd rather not speed up just yet," Hsss answered over his shoulder.

"I thought you would, but she can go faster that this and still be walking. Just nudge her a bit," Snake Face suggested, and Hsss complied. Ebony's pace was actually quite fast, just a bit below a trot. They actually covered some good distance. But to get to Midgar, haste was needed.

"Are you ready to speed up now?" Snake Face asked after a time.

"Yes I am," Hsss answered as he squeezed Ebony's sides harder. Her pace quickened and her riders began to bounce on her back, a fact that disturbed both of them.

"No, not trotting! You need to bring her to canter! A swift kick should do it!" Snake Face half shouted, somewhat brokenly. Hsss did as instructed, driving his heels sharply into Ebony's flanks. She leapt into a full out run at the blow, and the bouncing stopped.

"Good, good, now keep periodically applying pressure to keep her from slowing down," Snake Face breathed out in relief. "This is a good pace. Hsss, how do you feel?"

But the only answer Hsss gave was a shrill short laugh, so enthralled he was in the rush of power it seemed to give him. He could get used to this all right; in fact, he could even begin to love it.


	5. Chapter 4

At long last, here is chapter 4. Please, keep reviewing, it encourages me to write faster.

Chapter 4

The remainder of the ride to Midgar went more smoothly than either of them would have guessed. There were no further incidents involving falls from Ebony's back, but both Hsss and Snake Face ended up getting saddle burn. Each day they alternated who rode in the saddle and who rode behind, and after seven days Midgar was finally in sight. And the Snakemen capitol city was like nothing either of them had ever seen before.

Midgar was an immense castle that appeared to be encased in gold. It sat in the center of a plain overlooking the sea, surrounded by a deep trench. It was relatively square with a tower at each corner, and a pyramid like structure at its center. They could not see its drawbridge from their angle, but they were certain that it was huge. They could vaguely see the small figures of guards on the ramparts. But the castle was still distant, though its size made it seem relatively close. Snake Face and Hsss wasted much time just staring at it.

Eventually Hsss, riding in the back today, gave Ebony the tongue-click command when Snake Face would not, prompting her back into a walk, and followed up with a kick to get her up to a gallop. With any luck they would reach the gates by nightfall. The ride seemed impossibly slow without the sun for reference on this cloudy day, and with Midgar not seeming to change size as they approached. But as the sky began to darken, they found themselves at the edge of the trench, which they now saw to be filled with muddy water.

Snake Face brought Ebony back down to a walk as they circled the moat. Something caught Hsss' eye, and he leaned over as best he could to try to identify what it was he saw beneath the water.

"Hey, Snake Face, do you think the moat is filled with spikes?" the Hydra asked, taking only one set of eyes away from the pit. Snake Face leaned over as well, curious to see what his companion meant.

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was. It's a good defense." He squinted down at the murky water, watching the shapes beneath it seem to take on sharpened appearances. "Well it sure looks like it is."

"I thought so." The remainder of the ride went in silence, still awed as they were by Midgar's magnificence, how it towered over them, and how it still glistened even in the dark. When they finally reached the drawbridge they had to crane their necks just to see the top of it. And there they waited as dusk settled, unsure of what exactly to do; neither of them had the faintest clue as to what the decorum was in Midgar. Did you ask to be let in, or did you wait for an invitation?

"Maybe we should hail them," Hsss suggested quietly.

"I doubt they'd be able to hear us," Snake Face whispered back. But just as he spoke those words the drawbridge was lowered slowly with a long, low groan and a clinking of chains. When it finally hit the ground it did so with a resounding thud that shook the land around it.

"Or maybe they can…" Snake Face corrected himself, eyes wide. Ebony danced about uneasily beneath them, whinnying nervously. In the gaping blackness within the gateway a faint, golden glow appeared.

"Enter!" a thin, male voice called from the dark. As if obeying a silent command not from her riders, Ebony stepped onto the drawbridge and slowly, one step at a time, crossed it. Snake Face could do nothing to stop her, not that he really had much of a choice.

The horse's hooves clattered nosily against stone as they reached the inside of the castle. They could now see the outline of a robed figure beneath the glow. As they continued to approach it became apparent that the light came from the tip of his staff. Ebony came to a halt before him, whickering and shifting nervously.

"Welcome, Snake Face, son of Poseidon, and Hsss son of Serpentor. We've been expecting you," the thin voice spoke again, now obviously emanating from the priest before them. They could safely identify his breed as Cobra, not only judging by his slight build and three-fingered hand, but also by the shadows cast on the folded hood beneath the cowl.

"Come with me. You may leave your horse here; she will be able to find the stable on her own." The Cobra turned to the side as he spoke, indicating that they should follow him. Hesitantly, they hopped off Ebony's back, Hsss first, Snake Face unhitching the saddlebags mid-dismount. He passed the one he knew to be the Hydra's to his companion whilst keeping his own.

"You needn't worry about her tack; the stable master will take care of it. Come," the Cobra continued, turning around with a flourish of robes as he spoke, and began to stride down the hall. Hsss and Snake Face nearly broke into runs as the followed, their saddlebags slung over their shoulders. True to the priest's word, Ebony turned and vanished into the darkness, her hooves still clattering audibly even after she was no longer visible.

The shadowed hall seemed immense, and the Cobra's light lit very little of it. Hsss and Snake Face struggled to stay within the glow and keep pace with their guide. Their footsteps echoed noisily, as did the tap of the priest's staff on the floor. Hsss could sense the amount of power this castle held; in fact he could even say that he could smell it. With no magical talents of his own, Snake Face could only feel it as a tingle in the back of his mind.

After a short while of walking the priest veered off into an adjourning corridor, pausing briefly to make sure the young Snakemen were still following him. The corridor led to a spiral staircase, upon which they ascended several flights. And finally they reached another hallway, this one barely big enough for one Adder to walk through, lined on each side with doors.

The Cobra's pace slowed here, looking at each door in turn before stopping at a pair of them that seemed to suit his liking. With a slight murmur from the priest the two doors swung open. The rooms were lit by a cold blue light, but were unoccupied.

"Each of you gets a room. Make your pick. Doesn't really matter, they're virtually the same. Good night." With those words the priest continued down the hall, fading into the distance. Soon the only light left was from the rooms. Looking between each other, Hsss and Snake Face gave a half shrug to one another and walked into either of the rooms, slowly shutting the doors behind them.

Hsss set his bag down and looked about the room, taking an inventory. There was a bed at the far wall, with simple linen sheets. There was a desk against one wall with a chair that was obviously designed to hold the weight of any breed. There was a dresser with a mirror and a water-filled basin at the other wall. And the blue light came from a small, iron cage on the ceiling. He could now be certain that the glow was a work of magic.

Having had a sufficient look around the room, Hsss set about discarding his clothing. His jerkin went first, pulled over his head and dropped to the floor. He then sat down on the bed to remove the britches, and threw them into a pile with the jerkin. Fully unclothed he stretched and yawned widely, leaning back. Swinging his legs up onto the bed and under the sheets he laid himself down, idly scratching the spot where his necks joined. Looking up at the light he dully noted how soothing it was, despite its coldness, almost like moonlight. And with that thought Hsss closed his eyes and drifted off.

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Hsss awoke slowly from the best sleep he'd had in a week; it felt so good to be in a bed again. For a brief instant he thought he was back home, but he quickly remembered that this was not Tamat, this was Midgar. When he opened his eyes his vision was slightly blurred, but he blinked a few times to clear it. The first thing he noticed was that the light had changed its color from blue to gold.

Exhaling in a soft, long grunt, Hsss sat up and arched his back and necks, a few bones popping as he did so. Sliding his legs off the side of the bed, and absently itching his groin, he stood and shuffled over to his discarded saddlebag. Rummaging around inside it, he passed over the britches in favor of his customary gray tunic, deciding that his legs needed some air after seven days of riding. He pulled it over his central head groggily, only to realize that it was on backwards when his extra heads couldn't find the slit they went through. Grumbling, he pulled his arms back in and spun it around. With the tunic on properly, and all five heads outside of it, he snatched up its worn leather belt and secured it to his body.

Idly smacking his chops and scratching his butt, Hsss opened the door and moved out into the hallway. It was lit now by the same golden glow as in his room, but he paid it little mind, trying to remember which room Snake Face was in. Believing he'd found it he knocked on it hesitantly.

"Snake Face?" There was no answer so Hsss tried again. "Snake Face? You in here?"

"He's down at the stable with his horse," a cold, female voice resonated inside his head, causing him to jump. He looked around franticly, but no one was there.

"Where are you? What is this?" Hsss asked of the empty hallway.

"No where near you. I am a telepath. I'll be giving you directions to the stable… now." In an instant the images of various corridors, stairways, and halls appeared in Hsss' mind. The first image was of him in the hallway, and the last was of Snake Face in the stable with Ebony. Nodding to no one but himself, he turned and walked to the stairway at the end of the corridor.

Hsss really had no idea where he was going, but his body carried him as though he did. Down the stairway and back into the main hall, which was now brightly lit, with several robed Snakemen milling around. Most only gave him a passing glance, but a few seemed more curious. When he reached the raised drawbridge he stopped and looked around. He vaguely remembered that they had left Ebony here and that she'd walked away in what had to be the direction of the stable. He went the way she had gone.

The smell of straw and animals soon reached Hsss' nostrils, and their sounds followed shortly after. It comforted him somehow, and he closed his eyes in a sort of pleasant relief. He wasn't aware of where he was going, and apparently neither was another walking the same path. Maybe her War Cat saw it coming, but they most certainly didn't until it was too late.

The impact wasn't enough to knock either of them over, nor was it enough for them to bounce off of each other. Hsss' eyes flung open when he suddenly found himself pressed against a distinctly female body, and jerked his central head downward. In the same instant she quickly turned her head, eyes wide, only to have the tip of her snout brush against his. Their eyes widened further in a brief moment of confusion, before hastily breaking apart and turning away.

"Sorry!" they said simultaneously, heat rising beneath the scales on their faces. Eyes darting around in embarrassment, the adolescent Viper tightened her grip on her cat's reigns and steered around Hsss. He could not stop himself as he turned to watch her.

Every little bit of her was beautiful in Hsss' eyes. Her smooth, lime-green scales, her slender build, her deep blue eyes. Blue eyes were so rare, and her dress complimented their shade perfectly. The way she smiled as she stroked her cat's lavender fur, and the sound of her musical laugh as she did so. Her smooth belly, her soft breasts, her sinewy tail, the subtle swing of her hips, and her slender, digitigrade legs caused a heat to rise within him, hazing his vision.

"Hello? You still in there? Hsss?" Snake Face seemed to appear suddenly at his side, and getting no response he stepped in front of him and snapped his fingers in Hsss' central face. "Wake up, lover-boy."

Hsss blinked rapidly and slipped a head around Snake Face to continue watching her, but she was gone. Wait a minuet; lover-boy?

"Isn't it a wee bit hazardous to keep a table-dagger in the general vicinity of your groin?" Snake Face mocked, a huge grin plastered on his face. When Hsss didn't take the hint he flashed his eyes downward, grin broadening. Looking down and following the Gorgon's gaze, he realized that the lower part of his tunic was hanging differently than before. Snake Face snorted with laughter as Hsss' eyes widened and as he tried to hide it.

"Cute, isn't she?" the Gorgon went on, gesturing with his head in the direction she went. "She was down here before I was. I get the feeling she's just left though."

"Is there a problem, boys?" a low voice sounded beside Hsss, nearly causing him to jump out of his skin. Spinning around he came face to face with a Constrictor a good head taller than himself. Though if his posture were better he would have been taller still; he hunkered over, and his digitigrade legs were bent excessively. His dirt brown scales were somewhat ratty, and the black blotches were quite difficult to distinguish. His dark eyes looked at him quizzically, while a tail longer than the rest of his body swayed about behind him. As those eyes traveled downward they lit up with recognition.

"Oh, is that the problem? Hormone surge, I wouldn't worry. At your age you'd better get used to them, because you will start experiencing them all the time. Cold water usually does the trick. There's some right over there." As he spoke the Constrictor gestured with both his head and his tail directing Hsss to a trough of cold water. Nodding and averting his eyes in embarrassment, Hsss hurried towards it, kneeled beside it, and dunked all five heads into it. In an instant he felt the heat in his loins subside, and he sighed in relief as he came back up from the water, shaking it from his heads.

"That better?" Hsss nodded in reply, and the Constrictor grinned back, padding over to a nearby supply stall. Bending over at the threshold it appeared he was going to pick something up, but instead he dropped onto all fours and lanced his tail into the room.

"Oh, I don't believe I've introduced you yet," Snake Face said suddenly, coming to stand between them. "Hsss, this is Pyathon. Pyathon, Hsss."

Pyathon only gave Hsss a passing nod as his tail found what he was seeking. Remaining on all fours he turned and began to pace the line of stalls, an empty bucket held tightly in the coils of his tail emerging from the supply room.

"He's an animal-empathic, you know," Snake Face went on as Pyathon began to gather discarded brushes into the bucket. "Meaning he can talk with animals."

"Yes, a branch off of psychics, I know what it means," Hsss assured his understanding, rising to his feet.

"I didn't believe him at first when he told me, but he proved it when he gave Ebony a full bucket of oats, told her to take only ten and return the rest," Snake Face continued as he picked a brush up off the floor and tested the weight in his hand. "And she did it without a fuss; she's normally quite greedy about oats, too."

"Amazing," was all Hsss could mutter, genuinely impressed. "Speaking of which, how is she?"

"She's just fine," Snake Face answered and walked over to one of the stalls, just as the aforementioned black mare poked her head out, whickering. "And she's happy to see you, aren't you, Ebs?"

Ebony snorted and butted her head against his outstretched hand. Grinning, Snake Face brought up his other hand, the one that held the brush and ran it down her neck. Murmuring softly he began to brush her shoulders, pressing his forehead against hers.

"Ah, there you are, I was told I would find you here," a thin, yet forceful, unearthly male voice spoke, barely above a whisper. Hsss and Snake Face's heads snapped around to view the newcomer. And what they saw surprised them.

His figure wasn't all that imposing; in fact he seemed harmless. He was a few inches shorter than them and he was slender. Most of his figure was concealed by his floor length, long-cuffed, snow-white robes, which were bound about his waist by a gold chain. His big green eyes were well framed in his round-ish, short-muzzled, tan-scaled face. The staff he leaned on was gold, made up of three serpents coiling about each other, holding a rather large, spherical moonstone between their snouts. Around his neck was a broad, gold collar, inlayed with emeralds and an amulet. The amulet caught Hsss' eye as he noted its shape: like the spread of a cobra hood with a red stone carved to look like a slit-pupil eye in its center, and with a small tail coiled out behind.

"I don't believe I've introduced myself yet. I am Asp'rios, High Priest of Serpos," the unearthly voice continued smoothly. Realizing whom they were dealing with, both Hsss and Snake Face bowed respectfully. Nearby, Pyathon gave a small salute over his shoulder.

"I am sure both of you are wondering why I have summoned you, and I can assure you that all will be revealed shortly," Asp'rios went on, waving them up with a slight flick of his wrist. "But I need to speak with each of you individually."

Asp'rios paused then, eyes meeting each of theirs, looking through them, weighing the options. He lingered at Hsss, his boring gaze stripping him of all mental defenses. He could not blink to break the stare, but the High Priest saved him the trouble.

"Hsss, son of Serpentor, I will speak with you first." As he spoke, Asp'rios turned with a swishing of white cloth, and began to almost glide away, continuing to speak over his shoulder. "Come with me."

Only glancing back at Snake Face once, Hsss followed. He found himself being led back into the main hall, but this time led up a different spiral stair. This one was steeper than the other, and steeper than anything in Tamat. But while it wore on Hsss' knees, Asp'rios just seemed to glide up them with no difficulty. Sunlight flooded Hsss' vision when they reached the top, and the smell of salt was suddenly there as well. As his eyes adjusted he realized where he was: Midgar's ramparts.

The golden castle seemed even larger when one looked down from its ramparts, and Hsss was astonished by the sudden feeling of acrophobia. He didn't dare look past the parapets for fear of becoming sick, but instead allowed his first view of the ocean to capture his gaze instead. The jewel-like glistening, and the distant sounds of the crashing waves and the mewling of seabirds comforted him.

"You are calm, that is good," Asp'rios murmured next to him. "The situation is stressful to us, it will be easier for you to handle if you are relaxed. Now where shall I begin?"

Hsss looked expectantly at the High Priest as he stroked his chin in thought. And then something occurred to the young Hydra.

"Who is Grayskull?" Asp'rios' eyes lit up at that question.

"Ah, yes, Grayskull, yes, that is the ideal place to start." A deep breath and a pause. "Well, first of all, 'Grayskull' is just the name our scouts have given him, because of a certain helmet he wears. We haven't the faintest clue what his real name is. We know little about his origins except that he is a minor lord. A few years ago he began a building project, a castle. And here is our first mistake in dealing with him: we didn't view the construction for what it meant, and we will soon be paying for it. He was building a defensible fortress, using a design similar to Midgar's. Again, we don't know what he's named it, but our scouts have dubbed it 'Castle Whiteskull'. He is currently using it as a base of operations. Are you following me, Hsss?"

"Yes, I believe I am," Hsss replied in an almost dazed voice, trying to let the information sink in. "There is more, isn't there?"

"Much more, I'm afraid." Asp'rios swallowed before going on. "What makes Grayskull such a threat is that he knows how to rally the other peoples to his banner. He is offering them independence, and like starved beasts they leap upon it like it were a scrap of meat, with little thought as to the results. A few continue to side with us, but we cannot count on them for long. And the thought of Eternia divided is a horrifying thought for one solitary reason."

"What reason? There must have been something I haven't been told." Hsss didn't like the direction this was headed and was beginning to feel sick.

"I'm not at all surprised that they didn't tell you little ones yet." The High Priest wrung his hands around his staff, steeling himself. "Roughly thirty winters ago, we felt a presence just beyond Eternia, an evil presence. It stalked just beyond our reach but not beyond out vision, like a Worg circling an injured Dragon. We knew he stayed on the fringes because Eternia was united under one banner, but we also knew that if the people were to break off from each other then he would strike. There was only one name we could give to this evil: the Chaos Bringer."

The name stirred up spares memories within Hsss. Memories of the name being uttered in low tones, and of his father darkening at the mention.

"Alright," Hsss swallowed. "I understand now why the situation is dire, but I still don't understand why you summoned me."

"I was just getting to that, and I warn you now: it is not easy to understand, not even for us." Asp'rios stepped over to the parapets, and leaned on them, sighing. "Maybe explaining the process of choosing would help you understand. When problems like this arise it is always the younger generations that have to bear the brunt of it. And thus it is them we must prepare to deal with it. From the younger ones of each clan we select a potential leader. It could be anyone, really, they just have to have the right qualities."

"What qualities?" Hsss interjected. "How do you know?"

"Please don't interrupt me." Asp'rios turned back to look him in the eyes again. "What makes a leader varies from clan to clan, but the universal quality is being someone the masses can follow to the ends of Eternia without question. This can be achieved in many ways: being intelligent, being levelheaded, being merciful, being just, being strong of will, heart, mind, or body, and even just being a sorcerer. It is, after all, a cold fact of nature that people without the gift of magic feel much safer if someone who has it is on their side."

"And which of these qualities are mine?" Hsss asked after a pause, with a bizarre feeling stirring in his gut.

"Well, you have always been cunning, you aren't one to panic easily, and you're hard to break." Asp'rios took a step towards him. "And you have some talent for sorcery. It hasn't fully manifested, but it is there. Wait a moment, let me test just how far it has come…"

In a flash of movement the High Priest brought his staff about, a white blast forming at its tip. Acting on reflex, Hsss dropped his extra heads behind his back and raised his arms protectively in front of his central face. The blast blinded him and burned his arms, but he remained upright, a soft green light appearing at the fringes of his vision. There was a moment of equilibrium between Hsss' shield and Asp'rios' blast, before the shield gave way.

When Hsss' vision cleared he was on his back, with Asp'rios standing over him. There was a slight smile on the High Priest's face as he reached down a hand to the fallen Hydra.

"As far as I had anticipated," Asp'rios murmured as he pulled Hsss to his feet. "You have a good instinct for it, you just need to hone your skills. Your mother is a sorceress, is she not?"

"Yes, she is," Hsss answered, still shaken by the sudden attack.

"Has she been tutoring you?" Asp'rios released his grip, pulling his hand back into the folds of his robes.

"No… she thinks I should figure it out myself, like she did."

"I see… I guess that leaves me with only one option at this late date," Asp'rios muttered under his breath, turning away briefly before turning back. "Hsss, I am taking it upon myself to train you in sorcery."

"What…?" Hsss was stunned by the declaration. "Why…?"

"It is too late to have a slow easy training." The High Priest began walking back to the doorway, gesturing Hsss to follow. "We need to have you up to speed as fast as we can. Every sorcerer we have on the field is an advantage to us. Come, there is little time to waste."

Hsss, still confused, trotted after him, leaping every few steps as they descended the stairs. When they reached the main hall Asp'rios looked over his shoulder as he walked.

"Your training will start now." The High Priest did a quick u-turn into another stairway. "This way."

Asp'rios led him up to the very top of the stairs, to what reminded Hsss of the combat-training hall back in Tamat. It was quite vast, with a door in each of the walls, most likely leading into similar chambers. Striding into the center of the room, the High Priest spun around to face his new student, flinging off the white robe in a flash of blinding light. When Hsss could next see, Asp'rios had changed his garb to something more appropriate.

All that remained of the original garment was the collar and amulet. His chest and legs were now bare, with a floor length, white loincloth as the only piece of fabric left in the outfit. He now sported gold wrist guards, toe guards, and shin guards, as well as red-leather kneepads. Hsss could see now that he had a sturdy build for a sorcerer, much like Fang's. In fact this body might well represent what old Deadeye looked like in his prime, before all the mutilating injuries.

"Using a focus would be a good idea for you," Asp'rios murmured as he stroked his chin in thought. A look of concentration spread across his face, and out of the air a silvery-white staff appeared before an astonished Hsss.

"Take it, take it!" Hsss gingerly touched the staff, before taking it into his hands and testing its weight. "You do know how to use a spear in normal combat, don't you?"

"Yes, I do," Hsss almost whispered as he realized how light the staff was.

"Good… Shall we start your first lesson?" Asp'rios shifted his own staff so that he now held it in both hands, looking at Hsss expectantly. With some trepidation and a swallow, Hsss answered.

"I am ready to begin."


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Hsss collapsed wearily into his bed near the end of the day. He had never done anything so taxing in his life. He ached, but it was a different sort of ache than from riding: this time, everything really did hurt. He would never have guessed that magic could be so draining. His mother made it look so effortless.

Groaning, Hsss tried to turn on his side, but found that his limbs wouldn't respond. When he tried to force reaction from them they hurt even more. Breathing deeply and noisily, he lay there unable to fall asleep through the pain, despite his fatigue. He only dimly noted that the light overhead was slowly changing its color from gold to blue.

Closing his eyes against the aching, his thoughts wandered back to the lesson that day. Asp'rios had begun by sending another blast his way, expecting Hsss to throw up another shield. Not expecting such an attack, he had no opportunity to defend himself this time around, much to the High Priest's surprise. He remembered being helped to his feet and instructed on how to erect a proper shield. They had spent the next four hours working on his shield, and every time Hsss was thrown to the floor by Asp'rios' blast. Only at the end of the lesson did he manage to stay on his feet, prompting the High Priest to let it conclude on a high note. He had trudged gratefully back to his room after that, ignoring everyone that crossed his path, including Snake Face.

And those thoughts brought him up to the present moment, too tired to remain awake, but in too much pain to fall asleep. His mind was muddled and he had no idea how long he had lain in that state, but the weary trance was broken when he heard a knock at his door.

"Hsss? Can I come in?" It sounded like Snake Face, but he couldn't be too sure, dulled as his thoughts were.

"Who is it?" Hsss groaned out, while trying to pull himself up into a sitting position, and was unable to move his extra necks from their limp positions.

"It's me, Snake Face." Ah, so he was right.

"Sure…" Hsss' voice was strained and somewhat weak as he spoke. With a shrill creak, the door opened a bit and Snake Face poked his head in, wearing a concerned expression.

"You alright?" He opened the door a bit more as he spoke softly. Hsss noticed that he was carrying a mug of something steaming in his hand.

"Do I look alright!" The Hydra's pained voice carried the hint of a whine as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, wincing as another tendril of hurt raced through his worn body.

"No, quite frankly you look like you've been to Hell and back." Though the tone in the voice was somewhat amused, an attempt to cheer him up he expected, Hsss chose not to respond. Seeing this, Snake Face sighed and approached him, and placed the mug in his hands.

"Here, it'll help with the pain, and put you to sleep." Hsss looked up at the Gorgon with a bit of confusion, not being entirely sure what he had been given. It most certainly didn't smell like remedies he was used to. In fact, the pearly white substance didn't smell like much of anything.

"I'm not sure how they make it, or what they put into it, but Diamond Hide said you'd be needing it." Snake Face gestured lamely at the mug as he spoke.

"Who?" Hsss still refused to drink.

"Diamond Hide, she's the local telepath." At those words Hsss' thoughts wandered back to the icy voice he had heard at the beginning of the day. And then something else occurred to him: How come Snake Face knew more people than him?

"Because he had time to explore while you were training with Asp'rios." The cold voice was back inside his head, startling him yet again. "Now stop being stubborn and take your medicine."

Hsss still hesitated, watching as the white liquid began to take on swirls of blue, green, and pink. The female voice in his head sighed, and felt a wave of exasperation not his own.

"If you don't drink it yourself, I have ways of making you drink it, and it won't be pleasant for either of us." Not wanting to learn what she meant by that he hastily downed the drink. The first thing he noticed about it was that it had more flavor than its smell would have predicted: it tasted sweet, like honey almost. The next thing he noticed was the dissipation of the pain, and the swiftness of it surprised him. And then the drowsiness set in, and he tried to stifle a yawn.

"Feeling better?" Snake Face asked with a brow raised, his head cocked slightly to the side. All Hsss could do in reply was nod as his jaw stretched wide in the yawn he could no longer hold back. Letting the empty cup drop from his hands he dragged himself back onto the bed, his limbs becoming heavier with each passing second.

"Well, goodnight then," Snake Face whispered as Hsss drifted off, quietly picking up the fallen mug, and padding out of the room. The door closed behind him with only a small click.

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It was the fourth day of Hsss' training, and he was still being thrown to the floor. His shields held against attacks, but his blasts were sub par and always backfired. True, his endurance had improved drastically since the first lesson, but he could only take so many bruises. The scales on his back were starting to look blue-gray. As he pushed himself up onto his knees, Asp'rios approached him.

"It would seem that your problem is that your blasts have a tendency to rebound," the High Priest said as he helped Hsss to his feet. "I should have noticed this sooner, but we can rectify it. Hold on just a moment."

As he finished, Asp'rios raised his staff and pointed it at the empty end of the room. A white glow appeared around the stone at its tip, and a similar shine appeared in his eyes. The light around the orb shot out across the room, contorting as it did so, and when it had stopped it had taken on the approximate shape of a Worg. The white, featureless, lupine form raised its head and snarled soundlessly at them.

"It'll do for now. You will be practicing on this, until I feel you are ready to move on." Asp'rios took a stand behind Hsss, his hands on his shoulders, looking at the energy beast from over his shoulder. "Now form a blast like I instructed you to."

Obediently, Hsss raised his staff and concentrated, trying to pool his energy around his focus. A faint green mist began to swirl around his hands and coil about his staff, just like all the other times. With a bit of mental force, the mist coagulated into an orb near his hands.

"Good, now direct it at the illusion," Asp'rios instructed softly. With what seemed like practiced precision, Hsss swung his staff and cast the green orb towards the Worg energy form. It struck home with what would have been deadly accuracy, but like all the other times, a portion of the magic was deflected back onto him. He cried out in pain and would have collapsed if it were not for the High Priest holding him up.

"I see what your problem is now, Hsss. You are reluctant to let your magic leave your body. Don't worry; it's a common problem for young sorcerers. You have to learn to let it go. Now I want you to try again." Asp'rios pushed against Hsss' back until he was safely on his feet again. "Form another blast."

Hsss complied and repeated the process, another green orb appearing near his hands. Asp'rios murmured something and the light emanating from the Worg faded slightly.

"Now relax. When you cast it, disconnect it from your body. Think of it as shedding your skin. Don't try to continue feeling it: that will keep you connected. Let it go." Nodding, Hsss closed his eyes and attempted to loosen his hold on the energy. When he felt a numbing feeling creep up his arms he knew it was time and cast blindly. And with a murmur from Asp'rios the illusion leapt to intercept the blast. It struck home, but like all the other times, a shot of pain raced up his arms. He hissed at the stinging sensation, and barely registered that it was weaker than the previous times.

"You're improving, but you haven't fully let go of it. And you still need to aim." Asp'rios smiled from over Hsss' shoulder. "One more time. Relax, but keep your eyes open."

Glancing back nervously at the High Priest, Hsss ran a tongue over his parched lips and took a deep breath, focusing his energy once more. Then, looking away from the orb to the Worg instead, he tried to attain the numbing feeling again. This time he let it progress further, until the prickling sensation had spread to every inch of his flesh. And finally, still not looking at the orb, he cast it towards the illusion.

The green energy washed over the Worg like water on rock, dissipating into the air around it. Hsss braced for pain, but there was none, just a surge of warmth through his limbs. Behind him, he felt Asp'rios let go of his shoulders and step around him, clapping lightly.

"Well done, well done, Hsss." With a flash of white light the Worg was gone. "Quite impressive for your second attempt at it. The skill only needs to be perfected. With practice this will soon become second nature to you."

Hsss couldn't help but smile. The warmth had left him but the elated feeling it had brought remained. His first real success in these lessons.

"Why don't we end here? You've certainly come a long way," Asp'rios said cheerfully. His eyes flashed briefly, causing the staff in Hsss' hands to seemingly liquefy and fall to the floor, to evaporate into thin wisps of smoke. And with another flash his garb changed back to his customary robes.

"You are free to go." Hsss started to turn away, but another thought occurred to Asp'rios. "Oh, and I would advise you to have your friend Snake Face show you around. There is still much time left in the day, and he's had little to do. It would benefit you both. Now go."

Bowing slightly and smiling, Hsss turned and left the room, jumping every few steps as he descended the stairs. However he stopped dead when he reached the main hall, and looked around with an uneasy feeling. Where was Snake Face, anyway? The stables?

"No, he's in the room just across the hall from you. Big door, a fire inside, you can't miss it." It was Diamond Hide again. Over the past few days she had proven to be a reliable source of information about the castle. And once again she had come to his aid with directions. Silently thanking her, he spotted the door she meant and crossed the hall to it.

The door was quite large like she had described it, wide enough for three Adders to walk abreast through it. Also, as she had said, a fire burned inside, a pit fire in fact, low enough to cook over, but still fairly high. And sitting on the floor next to the pit's rim was Snake Face and a female Rattler he didn't recognize. Her scales, or what Hsss could see of them as her white robes covered most of her body, were a bronzy copper broken by a blue-black band, which formed a v-like shape on her face. But what caught his attention were her silver eyes, which seemed to pierce him to his very soul.

"Hsss!" Snake Face called to him, waving him over. "Come, join us!"

With a nervous grin on his face, Hsss walked to where they sat. Snake Face patted the floor next to him, motioning for him to sit. With a moment of hesitation he complied and sat cross-legged beside him. Almost beaming, Snake Face gestured to the Rattler sitting on the other side of him.

"You've met her in your mind, now you get to meet her in person. Hsss, this is Diamond Hide." Those eerie silver eyes locked with his for a moment and they penetrated him again, but the chill feeling only lasted until she blinked.

"Glad to finally meet you in the flesh, Hsss, son of Serpentor," Diamond said with a soft, almost shaky voice, much unlike the voice she used to speak to him in his mind; It was as if she didn't use it too often. "And yes, I don't interact much this way, I prefer to keep to myself. I apologize if my voice is too quiet."

Hsss blinked as she read his mind again, feeling her presence in his thoughts while she tore him apart with her gaze. Feeling tensions starting to rise, Snake Face broke in.

"So, you hungry?" Hsss nodded. "Here try this. Discovered it quite recently. It's quite good."

Snake Face handed Hsss a leather flask that smelled of flesh and alcohol. He took it, and found it to be a bit heavy, the liquid inside thicker than blood. In fact, if he didn't miss his guess it was blood contained within, judging by the smell alone.

"It's some mixture of blood, milk, ale, and honey. They call it crimson-mead. It's very filling. Try it." Sighing in an almost defeated manner, Hsss unscrewed the flask's cap and sniffed the contents. Indeed, it carried the scent of all the ingredients described, but he was still wary.

"It's a sustainer drink, often taken on long journeys," Diamond Hide put forth, using her mind to encourage Hsss. Hesitantly, he raised the flask to his mouth and took a sip. To his surprise it tasted quite good, and, as described, very rich. Emboldened, he took another swallow.

"Like it?" Snake Face beamed sharing a small glance and a smirk with Diamond Hide. Hsss nodded almost enthusiastically as he lowered the flask and screwed the top back on. There was then a long pause, through which the only sound was the crackling of the fire. Snake Face perked up briefly while Diamond Hide's eyes flashed. Blinking quickly, the Gorgon turned to his companion.

"So… you want me to show you around?" Hsss' eyes widened as Snake Face had reminded him of something he had never mentioned.

"How did you…?" Hsss asked in bewilderment, but Snake Face quickly answered by pointing to Diamond Hide. Yes, that explained it. Finally overcoming his shock, Hsss nodded yes in reply.

"Well… might as well start here…" Snake Face paused and looked around briefly. "This, as you might have been able to tell, is the kitchen."

Hsss glanced around and saw that that was indeed what it appeared to be, with its cooking fire and the fresh meat waiting to be distributed. The next thing he noticed was the black Cobra on the other side of the room who looked strangely familiar.

"You see that Cobra over there? He's the one who showed us in," Snake Face continued pointing over at the aforementioned Snakeman. "That's Dark Shadow."

"That's an unusual name…" Hsss put forth, raising a brow. "And somewhat redundant…"

"It only makes sense when you know he has an albino twin brother named Light Shadow." Hsss nodded in understanding. "They're both warrior-mages. I've seen them train. You wouldn't believe what they're capable of."

"Oh, you'd be surprised by what I'm willing to believe," Hsss interjected. "I've seen a lone, blind, herdsman fend off a Worg pack. I've seen a one-eyed warrior defeat two opponents at once. In fact, I was one of them."

"I see…" There was another pause, and once again Hsss caught a glimpse of Diamond Hide's eyes flashing. "So… I guess I should show you around the rest of the castle."

"Yes. Lets go, shall we?" Hsss and Snake Face stood slowly and stretched. Diamond Hide, however remained seated.

"You two just go ahead," she said with a wave of her thick, three-fingered hand, and a nod. With that, the two young Snakemen exit the room. The main hall was still somewhat empty, but Snake Face still seemed to recognize the few priests there were.

"You see that white Cobra one over there? That's the one I was telling you about: Light Shadow. And see that gold-colored Gorgon next to him? That's Sun Scale; she's a seer. Come on, I'll introduce you." Taking Hsss be the wrist, Snake Face led him over to where the two priests stood talking. "Don't worry, they won't bite, spit, or turn you to stone. They're really nice."

The two adult Snakemen perked up when the youngsters approached them, ending their conversation in favor of examining the new comers. They smiled, and Sun Scale was the first to speak.

"Ah, Snake Face. How good to see you again, child." Sun Scale spoke with a thin, ragged voice of great age. It had a distinct motherly tone to it, which erased most of Hsss' trepidation.

"And who is your friend?" Light Shadow stepped in with his low, thick speech; the voice of a warrior hardened by many years a veteran. His albino pink eyes spoke of hardships just as definitely as his voice.

"Sun Scale, Light Shadow, this is Hsss." Grinning as he spoke, Snake Face pulled Hsss forward, and put a hand at the junction of his necks to keep him there. The Hydra could only smile nervously.

"Um… Hello…" Sun Scale cocked her head at him and stepped forward. Her green eyes locked with Hsss' for a moment, and she raised a hand to his central face.

"Let me have a look at you, child," she said calmly as she touched his cheek. Hsss could now see that her gold scales were rimmed with white, another indicator of her age. Taking his jaw in her hand she turned his head from side to side, examining him. Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Curious, curious indeed…" she whispered as she released her grip on his head, taking a step back.

"What…?" Hsss noticed her expression in an instant, one of mixed pride and sorrow.

"You may have the gift of foresight, Hsss. But it is dormant…" Her voice trailed off and her face darkened further. "I see more, but it is uncertain…"

"What is uncertain? Is something going to happen?" Snake Face broke in, a look of mild panic in his eyes.

"Oh, don't trouble yourselves over it," Sun Scale shrugged and shifted her weight. "Nothing in prophecy is for certain. Not all fates are set in stone…"

Her thin voice trailed off then, sadness appearing in her eyes as they locked with Hsss'. A chill ran down his spine and he shuddered before she broke their gaze. The following silence was deafening.

"I guess we should be on our way…" Snake Face whispered, once more taking Hsss by the arm. "Let's go, Hsss."

"Well, well, well!" Light Shadow, who had been previously silent, declared rather loudly out of nowhere, startling the two adolescents. "Look who's finally decided to come out of the catacombs!"

Snake Face visibly flinched at those words, turned abruptly, and went stone still, eyes wide with fear. Light Shadow seemed undisturbed by whatever it was, though it seemed to disgust Sun Scale. With much trepidation Hsss turned, one head at a time, to see just what had culled these reactions from them. And what he saw made his blood run cold.

In the center of the hall some distance away stood the largest Snakeman Hsss had ever laid eyes on. It was an Adder with peat-brown scales that towered at what had to be at least twice as tall as Hsss himself, and easily three times as wide. It—no, he Hsss realized, stood hunched over, his three-fingered hands nearly touching the floor. Deep-set amber eyes glinted at them blankly, while a heavy jaw hung limply with its thick tongue almost lolling out, and a trail of drool dripping from the corner of his mouth.

The Adder shifted his weight from foot to foot, cocking his head from side to side. A deep rumble emitted from him, which made all but Light Shadow shiver. Something was wrong with this Snakeman, Hsss could tell, but he couldn't exactly put his finger on what it was. And then the stench of decay reached him. He understood in an instant; he could now see that it wasn't the Adder's scales that were deep brown, it was his flesh. This Snakeman was a zombie.

Hsss began to tremble, but he felt a comforting, callused hand come to rest on his shoulder. Light Shadow leaned in to whisper his reassurances.

"Don't fret. He won't attack, not unless he is told to." Then the warrior-mage stood back up and spoke louder in the zombie's direction. "Right, Necromancer?"

A gaunt hand suddenly appeared on the Adder's arm, pushing him gently to the side. And from behind him appeared another Snakeman, one who seemed somewhat more alive. He was dwarfed by the zombie, and seemed no taller than Snake Face. He was of the Viper breed, with tan scales crisscrossed by blackish stripes, and dark eyes glinting from within a sunken face. His garb was not the white robes of the other priests, but instead consisted of little more than a tattered black cloak, and floor length loincloth. Clutched close to his chest was a black-wood staff topped with an ebony orb clutched in what appeared to be a skeletal hand. His chest was bare, and those stripes didn't stop at his underbelly, leaving their mark on the plated scales as well. His form was not intimidating, but his aura, his presence, most certainly was.

"So, one that is still living takes notice of me and my location, eh, Light Shadow?" The Necromancer's grating voice chilled Hsss to the very marrow of his bones.

"Yes, indeed. I was beginning to wonder if you were trying to starve yourself, again." Light Shadow's tone gave no impression that he was unnerved by the Necromancer, or his zombie.

"Oh, no. You know full well that they would never let me do that to myself." The Necromancer grinned and stepped closer, the Adder shuffling to shadow him. "It would appear that I am more valuable to them alive than dead."

"So then, what brings you up here with your faithful pet…?" The zombie's sudden snarl cut him off, causing Light Shadow to back up a step. "Eh, no offence meant, Gorgoth."

But the zombie Gorgoth was unsatisfied and took another step forward, raising his hackles. The only thing that stopped his approach was the Necromancer's staff barring his path.

"Down, Gorgoth. Accept his apology!" The grating voice held an undeniable authority, similar to Asp'rios', but was much more sinister. An authority the zombie obeyed with a baleful glance, stepping back and grumbling deeply at Light Shadow.

"Good, boy. Now play nice." The Necromancer turned back to the Cobra before him. "And as to why I'm up here, Gorgoth wanted to go outside. And who am I to deny him or let him go unsupervised? Ta-ta. Come along, Gorgoth."

And with that the Necromancer brushed past them, Gorgoth shambling along behind him. As he passed, Hsss noticed something else that was odd: the distorted shape of the scales within the stripes. Then he realized that those were not strips, they were tattoos. Hsss shuddered; tattoos for his kind were painful enough as it was, and he could not fathom as to why one would subject his entire body to that treatment. He only dimly noted that the tattoos were not stripes, but runes.

As the Necromancer's chill faded from the hall only a dead silence remained. No one moved, and their breathing was stilled. But the silence was soon broken by Sun Scale's soft voice.

"In case you hadn't already guessed, Hsss, that was our resident Necromancer," her words carried a tone of contempt, and her gentle voice sounded somewhat disgusted.

"He spends all of his time in the catacombs, in the company of his dead, and rarely comes out," Light Shadow added, though his tone was more one of amusement.

"He's often down there so long we forget he's even there," Sun Scale continued.

"I've been warned about him," Snake Face threw in, the look of terror in his eyes still present. "I've heard he's insane."

"As he might very well be," Sun Scale went on. "As he doesn't even know his own name."

"Long since forgotten it. It's so buried that even Diamond Hide can't find it," Light Shadow stated in an almost cheerful tone, one that unnerved Hsss even further. "Thus we know him only as the Necromancer, or as the Nameless One."

The real world came rushing back to Hsss in an instant as the creak of the drawbridge lowering reached them, causing him to flinch. Spinning abruptly, he caught one final glimpse of the Necromancer and his zombie as they crossed the bridge, and into the ocean fog that surrounded the castle. The chill was finally gone.


	7. Chapter 6

The Serpent Chronicles

Part 1

Chapter 6

The darkened hall was as silent as a tomb, shadows gliding like ghouls along the walls, a creeping mist rolling through the columns. The stifling silence gave crushing weight to the air and threatened to suffocate all who ventured through it. And the only one who dared the trek through the fog was Hsss.

He was cold, he couldn't see, and his stomach was clenching in a painful manner. He had not the faintest idea what had lured him down into the hall, but it persisted to compel him onward into the smothering mist. His foot steps were deadened but he took no notice; he was wearing armor much like his father's, and yet it mattered not. All that mattered to Hsss was the foreign urge to traverse the hall and find… something. What, he did not know.

"Hsss…" a thin, grating voice whispered, seemingly from all directions. The young Hydra stopped abruptly and darted his heads about madly to find its source. His ragged breathing pierced the silence sharply, adding to his anxiety. But nothing was there; he was alone.

"Hsss…" the voice sounded again, and he felt as though it was familiar. "Why have you come…?"

Hsss recognized the voice then: the Necromancer. His heartbeat picked up its pace, sounding loudly against his ribcage.

"Necromancer?" Hsss called into the fog, but there was no reply. "Nameless One?"

"You should not have come, Hsss…" the cold voice spoke again. "You have written your own doom…"

Heavy footsteps sounded behind Hsss, accompanied by a familiar growl. Spinning about in a flash, he spotted a large, looming shape approaching through the fog.

"And you have written it in your own blood…" A resounding roar echoed through the hall as the hulking figure charged through the mist, slashing at Hsss with its talons. He barely dodged in time, and felt the claws scratching his armor, causing him to lose his balance. Tumbling to the floor, he rolled over on reflex, to see a fist bigger than his chest slamming into the stone where he lay but a moment before, shattering it. In an instant he realized who his attacker was, and the rotting flesh confirmed it: Gorgoth.

"I can deny him his sport, but I cannot deny him fresh meat…" As those words were spoken, the hulking zombie shifted and brought both his fists down on either side of Hsss' central head, roaring in his face. Cold slobber splashed his face and the floor around it, causing the Hydra to shudder, as Gorgoth leaned in for the kill.

"Do not struggle… It will be over soon…" Hsss tried to think of something, anything he could do to escape as the slavering jaws neared. Everything seemed to slow down, but what followed happened so fast that he had no power over it. But in a way he was grateful for it. With a scream and a flash, Hsss vanished from the room, leaving Gorgoth's teeth to plunge into cold stone instead.

Hsss reappeared in another hallway, a narrower, longer, danker one, lined with dark, bed-like alcoves on either side. The mist hung here, too, but it was somewhat thinner. He sat up and looked around franticly, but he was alone again.

"Hm, clever…" the Necromancer spoke again, seeming closer this time. "Do you fear death, Hsss…? Are you afraid to die…?"

Hsss leapt to his feet as he realized where he was. He could see clearly now the skeletal remains in the alcoves: these were the catacombs. His panic returned tenfold as the mist around him began to take on corporeal shapes. The shapes of Snakemen and assorted other beings.

"You cannot run… There is no place to hide…" the Necromancer hissed as the mist coagulated into pale ghost-forms. "They will always be there…"

Hsss spun around madly as the ghosts advanced on him, looking for any escape route, but there was none. Their cold, blank, milky-white eyes stared at him balefully, as their lanky hands reached out for him. Their auras chilled him, and the touch of their transparent talons numbed him. He saw their hands pass through his arms and necks, and through them he saw the continuing corridor, his only hope of escape.

Screaming at the cold, Hsss broke into a hard run, through the ghosts, past the skeletons that were beginning to lean out of their alcoves, down the misty passageway. They shrieked in response but he heeded them not. All that mattered now was to escape the catacombs and find help. An immense wooden door was before him with a weak light shining from between the boards; this was his way out. As the door neared, hope rose in his chest. He threw out his arms in anticipation of the impact against and subsequent bursting through the exit. But he merely melted right through instead.

Hsss yelped as he hit cold stone, and curled into a ball on the floor as he realized that he had merely leapt from the frying pan to the fire. The stench of decay was even stronger here, and the groans of the dead chilled his blood. He squeezed his eyes shut; he was afraid to look.

"Hello, Hsss…" the grating voice of the Necromancer spoke next to him. Daring a glance with one of his heads, he peeped out from his fetal position, shaking with terror, to see the tan and tattooed Viper sitting above him on a throne of bone, half-rotten zombies standing at the ready by his side. His dark eyes glinted malevolently, and a smirk crossed his features at the pitiful Hydra before him.

"Do you not see it, Hsss…? Your flight was for naught, and lead you straight to me…" The Necromancer chuckled darkly. "Or, perhaps, did you believe that my presence would offer some protection, some clemency…?"

A familiar roar echoed through the chamber as Gorgoth burst through the door with a splintering of old wood and a shattering of worn stone. The great zombie roared again, and Hsss curled up tighter, trying to think of anyplace he could teleport that he'd be safe.

"There is no escape…" the Necromancer rasped, his figure stiffening and his grin broadening in anticipation. "Death has come for you…"

Gorgoth advanced on Hsss deliberately, his steps slow and heavy, a trail of drool dangling from the side of his mouth. He paused above the quivering Hydra and bared his fangs. Once again the zombie leaned in for the kill, but the Necromancer quite suddenly leapt to his feet.

"Beware!" the Necromancer practically roared, raising his staff, while his tattoos began to glow pale blue. "Beware! Beware the Red Wyvern!"

Then Gorgoth lunged at Hsss, bellowing, his gapping maw wrapping around his upper body, his sharp teeth crunching past metal, sinking into the flesh…

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Hsss awoke with a start, and sat bolt-upright with a small cry. His breathing was ragged and his heart was beating at speeds he had never thought reachable. His skin was twitching uncontrollably, and was starting to feel loose, the way it did right before he had to shed it. But the first thing he truly noticed was that he was completely unharmed; not a scratch, not a wound. It had only been a dream.

Hsss let out a wheezing groan as reality finally reached him, his eyes rolling back into their skulls. He pulled his legs up into to his body and tried to still his racing heart and uncontrolled breathing while resting his central forehead on his knees and let his other heads fall limp. It was all a dream, a horrid nightmare, he tried to reassure himself, but something at the back of his mind said that it was more than that. One aspect of the dream kept coming to mind: what did 'red wyverns' mean?

Wyverns. Small, draconian scavenger-beasts that Fang said could often be seen foraging on battlefields. He also said that when they were on the wing they could be easily mistaken for true dragons at great distance, or for small dragons closer in. But they had the wrong body shape to truly be counted amongst the Draconids, only four limbs rather that the dragon six. But what did wyverns represent, and was there any significance to a red coloration? Sun Scale had said something about him having the gift of foresight; maybe she would know. Maybe it was some sort of prophesy. He had heard once that visions often came in the form of symbolic representation.

His heart rate had finally slowed to a resting beat, and Hsss released the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. His body went limp, and he rolled onto his side, still curled up in a ball. He felt ill, and squeezed his eyes shut in vain to fight back the nausea. And he knew that trying to find sleep again was hopeless.

That was when Hsss heard the door open a crack, in a quasi-stealthy manner. He didn't dare move a muscle.

"Hsss?" It was Snake Face. "You awake?"

Hsss heard him tip-toe over to the side of the bed, obviously unsure whether he was awake or not. Frankly, he wanted him to think that he was asleep, not wanting to have to tell him that he had been roused by a nightmare. A horrific nightmare about someone on their side, in fact.

"Hsss?" Snake Face reached out a hand to touch Hsss' shoulder, which nearly caused him jump out of his already loosened skin. But he only flinched, prompting the Gorgon to shake his shoulder. Groaning, Hsss turned a head to glare weakly up at Snake Face.

"What is it…!" Hsss half moaned, half whined softly. Nodding ever so slightly, Snake Face stepped back from the bed side.

"I just thought there was something you would like to see," Snake Face whispered as he gestured for Hsss to rise. Still feigning tiredness, he sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"What do you want me to see…?" Hsss faked a yawn, trying to look sleepy even though he was wide awake.

"Get dressed and I'll show you. But do it soon or you'll miss it." Snake Face turned and walked to the door while he spoke. "I'll be waiting outside for you if you want to come."

And with that Snake Face closed the door, leaving Hsss alone in the room with his tumultuous thoughts. On one hand there was the mental turmoil stirred up by the nightmare, but on the other was curiosity at what Snake Face had to offer. Sighing and finding a resolve, he stood and stretched. Nodding to himself he pulled on his britches and jerkin in light of the cold morning, and half staggered to the door, opening it to see his companion leaning against the wall next to it.

"Well, you ready?" Snake Face inquired quietly, cocking his head to the side stepping away from the wall. Hsss nodded wearily in response, and the Gorgon nodded back.

"Alright… come along then." And with that Snake Face took Hsss by the wrist and led him down the corridor. "Quietly, now. I don't know how many are up at this hour."

Hsss responded by softening his steps slightly and silenced his breathing. Through the hallway and down the stairs, Snake Face led him, never letting go of his wrist. Hsss stiffened when they entered the main hall, but no mist hung about the vast chamber, nor was Gorgoth there to maul him. Just an empty stillness.

Snake Face did not sense Hsss sudden display of fear, but instead he stopped and looked about the hall, apparently weighing options. Nodding to himself he steered them towards the main gate.

"Where are you leading me?" Hsss whispered softly, starting to hang back a bit, trying halfheartedly to slip his hand from the Gorgon's grip.

"Can't tell, it would spoil the surprise," Snake Face whispered back. "But first we have to get Ebony."

Ah, Hsss thought, so we are going to be riding there; I hope it's not too far. He didn't want Asp'rios to wonder where he was, but then reasoned that the High Priest had his ways of knowing where people were, namely Diamond Hide. That assuaged his fears somewhat, and he fell back into step with Snake Face.

Their soft footsteps barely echoed through the empty hall, deadened by the still air as they continued towards the stable. Hsss idly wondered when the normal day started in Midgar, but brushed it aside. He then wondered what Pyathon's hours were like, and what he would be doing right now. His question was soon to be answered.

The stable was just as silent as the main hall, but the smell of animals and straw was still present, though somewhat dulled. All the steeds were asleep in their stalls and Pyathon was no where to be found. Only now did Snake Face let go of Hsss' arm and let him walk his own pace. And while the Gorgon went straight to Ebony's stall, Hsss took a moment to look around.

Hsss ambled slowly around the edge of the corridor, glancing into every stall, having a look at each of the creatures contained within. There were horses of varying builds and patterns, as well as great cats with similar variations. He recognized one cat that had to be of the same species as Saber. He also caught sight of a winged, lavender, draconian creature curled up in a particularly large stall; his first thought was that it was a Wyvern. He'd never seen a Wyvern before, only heard vague descriptions of them, which it seemed to fit.

Giving the winged creature only one more glance, Hsss moved on and looked into the next stall. What he saw there puzzled him even more. It looked like a mass brown of serpent coils, with no visible tail-tip or head. Curious, he moved closer despite his better judgment. He couldn't see any sign of movement to indicate breathing, but he could hear the sound of it clearly. He wondered if it was a Wurm, the great serpents of the underground, but then he saw a claw sticking out of the tangle, and then a head. He recognized the head: Pyathon. So, Hsss thought, he loves his animals so much he even sleeps as one of them.

"Hsss?" Snake Face's voice and sudden hand on his shoulder made him jump. "We're ready to go."

Hsss spun around swiftly to face his companion, which took Snake Face a bit aback. Calming quickly from his momentary panic, he nodded wordlessly and looked past the Gorgon to see Ebony standing ready in full tack, whickering slightly. Nodding back and stepping aside, Snake Face waved Hsss towards her. They mounted silently, Snake Face in the front, and the Gorgon gave her the tongue-click signal to walk. This clicking woke the winged beast. It raised its head groggily and glared at them as they passed with deep-set emerald eyes.

"That draconian creature there," Hsss whispered to Snake Face. "What is it? Is it a Wyvern?"

Snake Face slowed Ebony's step to have a glance at the creature in reference as it followed them with its gaze.

"No, its not a Wyvern," Snake Face whispered back. "Its head is the wrong shape: the snout is too long. I've seen Wyverns and this is not one."

"Then what is it?" Hsss asked as the creature decided they were of no interest and laid its head back down.

"Not sure. Could be some sort of Drake…" Snake Face started but broke off. "But who knows. Maybe we should ask Pyathon when we get back."

"Where _are_ we going anyway?" Snake Face was silent for a moment as Hsss once more questioned him, seeming to be holding a mental debate inside his skull. After a moment he replied.

"We aren't going beyond the sight of Midgar if that's what worries you," was all Snake Face said as an answer. Hsss knew that that would be the only answer until he actually saw what the surprise was. Sighing in defeat, he slumped into the saddle and allowed Snake Face to guide Ebony.

For a few moments Hsss' world was filled with nothing but the sound of Ebony's hooves clattering on stone, the feel of her gait beneath him, and the sight of the floor moving below them. He felt half-asleep, despite feeling fully awake just a short while ago, and he had no idea why. But he was shocked out of this world by Ebony's sudden stop and the sharp yet muted creaking of the drawbridge. His eyes shot up to see the gate of Midgar lower into the gray light of dawn.

When the thunder of old wood and chains ceased, Ebony once again continued along her path at Snake Face's urging. Soon they were out in the open air again, a thin, ocean mist hanging on the ground. And with a nudge from her rider, the black horse broke into a full gallop. But to where Hsss could not tell.

Hsss settled into her rhythm, and allowed his fatigue to overtake him again, making him slacken his grip of Snake Face's shoulders and lean into his back. The Gorgon did not fail to notice this.

"You tired?" Hsss' response came as a muffled groan. "I understand. I guess you don't like mornings."

"I'd just woken up…" came Hsss' deadened whine. This caused Snake Face to grin, and a small chuckle escaped between his fangs.

"Well, what I'm about to show you is sure to wake you up." As he spoke this, another sound appeared over the steady beating of Ebony's hooves: the roar of the ocean.

Hsss looked up past Snake Face's shoulder to see the silvery-gray waters breaking against the gray-white sand, backlit by a faint red glow. The thuds of Ebony's hoof beats became deadened as dirt softened into sand. No longer did Hsss feel drowsy as the smell of sea-salt reached him on a sweet, cool breeze. In fact, it even seemed invigorating.

Ebony whickered as Snake Face reigned her back down to a walk, and finally to a stop as they reached the water's edge. The black mare danced about as the cold waves rushed about her hooves, whinnying as she tried to adjust to the chill. With a grin, Snake Face dismounted, his feet splashing into the water as he did so. With a hand to steady his horse, he motioned for Hsss to come down as well.

"Here we are, and the water's just fine." With a tiny bit of hesitation, Hsss complied, sliding from Ebony's back, letting his feet dip into the cold water. The sudden chill made him flinch, but he did not recoil, instead trying to convince himself that the rushing waters were almost soothing.

"Good," Snake Face went on, once Hsss had fully dismounted. "Now all we have to do is wait."

With a little pat on the shoulder Snake Face released his hold on Ebony's reigns and allowed her to wander. And wander she did, moving with determination away from the cold waters. He himself plopped down in the wet sand facing the sea, watching and waiting. After a moment Hsss moved to join him there on the ground.

Long they sat there, gazing out across the sea, the waters surging around them, the winds rushing against them. Hsss had no idea what they were waiting for, or when it would come; all he knew was that the gray dawn was soothing to his ragged thoughts, and calming to his frightened spirit. It was good feeling the smooth, wet sand beneath his feet and between his toes.

"It's almost time…" Snake Face whispered after a while as the sky began to brighten. Puzzled, Hsss looked around slowly in confusion.

"Where?" He felt Snake Face's hand on his arm, steering his gaze back towards the ocean.

"Just watch the sea where the glow is, right there on the horizon." Hsss' eyes followed Snake Face's gesturing arm to a point on the horizon which seemed to be illuminated than the rest, the sky pained gold and red above it. "Just wait for it. Any minuet now…"

And as Snake Face spoke the glow became brighter, the gold bleeding into the blue. Hsss watched it slowly change its hue, small smiles blossoming on his faces. Somehow, he knew now what he was about to see, but at the same time he was not so sure. And confirming his thought a spike of golden light lanced over the edge of the sea, announcing the arrival of the sun. And it simply took his breath away.

Yes, Hsss had seen many sunrises in his day, but never like this, not with the light reflected and doubled by the surface of the sea, playing over the jeweled waters. The lifting shroud of ocean mist veiled the blinding rays, allowing him to almost see the sun's red disk. How could I have not realized that this is what it was all about? Hsss thought to himself as he stared in awe at the rising sun. So simple, and yet so breathtaking.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Snake Face whispered, as though not to disturb the serenity of the scene. Hsss could only nod in response, speechless as well as breathless. He barely registered his companion's spreading smile and returned nod, or the waters that were surging further up the shore with each breaker and the chill as it soaked into the leather of his britches.

"I was equally amazed when I first saw it here," Snake Face continued as the sun slowly climbed away from the glassy horizon. "And I saw it quite by accident really, and only on the second time did I see it here on the shore."

Hsss, turned to him, baffled. The one thing he could not understand about this Gorgon was how he could be such a morning-person. Even he struggled to get up early.

"What were you doing up that early!" Hsss no longer seemed interested in the rising sun as he fixed his companion with a confused demi-glare. Snake Face only shrugged.

"I'm always up this early. Its nothing to me, a force of habit only. Besides, in my clan we have to get up early for the sake of the horses." Silence set in again, broken only by the roar of the sea, and remained for an immeasurable time as they sat there, Hsss glancing at the sun, Snake Face, and Ebony, who was currently trying to find something edible on the sandy shore, all at once. And in that moment something else occurred to him.

"Um… Snake Face…?" Hsss asked slowly, trying to figure out the best way to word his question so that it wouldn't seem prying.

"Yes?" the Gorgon replied without even the slightest glance in his companions direction.

"Has… has Asp'rios spoken with you yet?" A pause as Hsss unknowingly held his breath, waiting for an answer. Snake Face blinked, turned to face him, and blinked again. Another silence.

"Yes, he has, just two days after he spoke with you." Hsss released his breath then in a silent rush, and prepared his next question.

"And what did he tell you?" Snake Face blinked yet again, and turned to look at his companion. Their eyes locked briefly and the Gorgon's narrowed.

"Well… he told me about Grayskull… and about the Chaos Bringer… why do you ask?" Hsss gave a demi-nod to himself as Snake Face answered, and prepared his own reply.

"Just wondering if we got the same story, that's all…" It was not the real reason he had asked, but it was close enough. Another silence set in.

"Did… did he tell you why you, specifically, were chosen?" Hsss no longer tried to be subtle in his inquiry. Snake Face raised a brow.

"Well… yes he did…" The Gorgon was baffled by the mysterious barrage of questions, but answered just the same.

"And what did he say were your qualities?" Hsss' questions pried even deeper, but Snake Face continued to answer.

"He told me that I am calm and collected, that I am intelligent, that I can make good decisions under pressure, that I am someone not likely to panic…" Snake Face paused, his eyes narrowing further. "Why are you asking me these things?"

"Its just that…" Hsss broke off, trying to word his feelings exactly. "Its just that this whole business is worrying me, that's all. Its just a bit too stressful for me to handle."

"I see…" And once more the two adolescent Snakemen went quiet, looking back to the now clear horizon. "We probably should be getting back."

"Yes, we should." And with that they pulled themselves up from the wet sand, dusted themselves off and went to collect Ebony. They returned to Midgar in silence, the sun beating on their backs, their thoughts tumbling in their minds.


End file.
